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Are Sun-like stars the best place to find livable worlds? Two rocket teams traveled to Australia for a better view of a pair of stars that may hold the answer. In Episode 5 of High Above Down Under, it’s finally time to launch.
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High Above Down Under

There are likely billions of planets in our galaxy. With over 5,000 already confirmed, how do we know which ones might hold life? Two NASA sounding rockets a...
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Nanook
Nanook
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I believe so, even though many favor red dwarfs because of their long life, they are unstable and planets to be close enough to have liquid water need to be so close that they are tidally locked, and in that situation the only way the dark side wouldn't be so cold as to freeze out all water and make life impossible is if the planet had a very thick atmosphere, but if the cloud of gas and dust the planet formed out of was rich enough in gases for this, the host star wouldn't be a dwarf. Hence, red dwarfs are no good. And hotter stars produce too much UV and would sterilize the surface of any planet, though life under water might still be possible.
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