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Stellar flares can lead to degradation of plant’s habitability

Date: 10 November 2020 Tags: Space


In new study researchers, have identified which stars were most likely to host habitable exoplanets based on the calculated erosion rates of the planetary atmospheres.



The ability to sustain an atmosphere is one of the most important requirements for a habitable planet.



  • It was found that more frequent, lower energy flares had a greater impact on an exoplanet's atmosphere than less frequent, higher energy flares.

  • The researchers also determined how different types of stars extreme ultraviolet radiation (XUV) through stellar flares, and how nearby planets are affected.

  • This study also highlights the need for better numerical modelling of atmospheric escape as it can lead to the erosion of atmosphere and the diminishment of the planet's habitability.

  • The next research step would be to expand data to analyze stellar flares from a larger variety of stars to see the long-term effects of stellar activity.


Stellar flares

Stellar flares are very likely to be fundamentally similar to solar flares in that they involve the sudden release of magnetic energy associated with currents flowing in their coronae. 


Solar flares

  • Solar flares are a sudden explosion of energy caused by tangling, crossing or reorganizing of magnetic field lines near sunspots.



  • Flares occur when accelerated charged particles, mainly electrons, interact with the plasma medium. 


  • These particles can impact the Earth's magnetosphere and present radiation hazards to spacecraft and astronauts. 

