The scientists pointed out that the very same dust that might help life thrive on a planet’s surface also obscures possible life signs.
A new study conducted by researchers from the UK’s Met Office, the University of Exeter and the University of East Anglia postulates that exoplanets which contain significant amounts of airborne mineral dust may have a greater chance of harbouring life, space.com reports.
According to the media outlet, the research team set their sights on M-dwarf planets that “orbit close to cooler stars smaller than our sun”, and which usually do so with one side permanently facing the star they’re orbiting while another side is permanently facing away.
During the course of their research, the scientists concluded that the presence of dust on such planets might help regulate the temperature on their surface, cooling their “day” sides and warming up their “night” sides.
The researchers noted, however, that the dust also “obscures our ability to find signs of life on these planets”, as study co-author Manoj Joshi put it.
The scientists’ findings were published in the Nature Communications journal on 9 June.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
