Title: Earth-size Stars, Alien Oceans and the Potential for Extraterrestrial Life
How and where might we find signs of extraterrestrial life? This question has long intrigued astronomers and now, one scientist is offering a new perspective, suggesting that life may well exist in close orbit around dead stars, or white dwarfs.
For life as we know it to exist, water is a fundamental necessity. Specifically, vast bodies of water – oceans – are likely required to cultivate and sustain life. But, could an ocean even survive on a planet orbiting closely to a white dwarf, a star that has burnt out and collapsed?
White dwarfs are stars that have exhausted their nuclear fuel. They are typically the size of Earth, but with a mass similar to the sun, making them incredibly dense. While they start out extremely hot, over billions of years they gradually cool and fade. Regardless, they still emit enough heat and light to potentially support an orbiting planet with conditions similar to Earth.
The possibility of such Earth-like planets in close orbit around white dwarfs has raised intriguing prospects for the existence of alien oceans. Planets in these zones could potentially maintain liquid water on their surfaces, a key ingredient needed for life as we comprehend it.
However, the close proximity of these planets to their parent white dwarfs brings challenges. The intense gravity of the white dwarf could cause tidal locking, a phenomenon where one side of the planet always faces the star, resulting in extreme temperature differences between the two sides. But this doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of life.
Researchers suggest that a thick atmosphere or deep ocean could distribute heat around the planet, mitigating these extreme temperature differences. Moreover, even if one side of the planet is perpetually shrouded in darkness, life could still potentially exist beneath the ice on the dark side, similar to life found in Earth’s deep ocean trenches.
Another concern is the intense ultraviolet radiation from the white dwarf that could strip away a planet’s atmosphere. However, if the planet has a magnetic field like Earth, this could protect it from the harmful radiation.
While these scenarios present a host of challenges for the existence of life, they are all based on our understanding of life as it exists on Earth. The universe is a vast and diverse place and life may not be limited to the conditions we are familiar with.
The search for extraterrestrial life continues to evolve and expand, and with it, our understanding of where and how life can exist in this vast universe. The idea of life around white dwarfs offers a new and exciting direction for this quest, potentially shifting the focus of future space exploration missions.
Indeed, the possibility of alien oceans around white dwarfs is an enticing prospect and one that will undoubtedly continue to inspire scientists and stargazers alike, as we strive to answer that age-old question: Are we alone in the universe?
Read more from the original source here: [https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/earth-size-stars-and-alien-oceans-an-astronomer-explains-the-case-for-life-around-white-dwarfs](https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/earth-size-stars-and-alien-oceans-an-astronomer-explains-the-case-for-life-around-white-dwarfs).