Space
Alien, Space-Faring Civilizations May be Hiding Within Globular Clusters
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jan 06, 2016 02:29 PM EST
Globular star clusters can hold a million stars in a ball that's only about 100 light-years across on average. Now, though, scientists have found that these clusters may be good places to look for space-faring civilizations.
"A globular cluster might be the first place in which intelligent life is identified in our galaxy," said Rosanne DiStefano, one of the researchers, in a news release.
Our Milky Way galaxy hosts about 150 globular clusters, most of them orbiting in the galactic outskirts. They formed about 10 billion years ago on average. As a result, their stars contain fewer of the heavy elements needed to construct planets, since those elements (like iron and silicon) must be created in earlier generations of stars. Some scientists have argued that this makes globular cluster stars less likely to host planets. In fact, only one planet has been found in a globular cluster to date.
With that said, there are those who argue that this view is far too pessimistic. Exoplanets have been found around stars only one-tenth as metal-rich as our sun. While Jupiter-sized planets are found mostly around stars containing higher levels of heavy elements, research finds that smaller, Earth-sized planets show no such preference.
Another concern is that a globular cluster's crowded environment would threaten any planets that do form. A neighboring star could wander too close and gravitationally disrupt a planetary system.
However, a star's habitable zone varies on the star. And because most stars in globular clusters are faint, long-lived red dwarves, any potentially habitable planets they would host would orbit nearby and be relatively safe from stellar interactions.
Because globular clusters are so old, they could also host civilizations that are far older than what can be found on Earth. In addition, interstellar travel would take less time in such a cluster because the stars are so close by.
The findings reveal that it may be possible that space-faring civilizations could be found in globular clusters. However, this is all theory. Hard proof has yet to be found in any form.
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TagsStars, Star Cluster, Globular Cluster, star, Exoplanets, Planet, Habitat, habitable, habitable planets, Life ©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
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First Posted: Jan 06, 2016 02:29 PM EST
Globular star clusters can hold a million stars in a ball that's only about 100 light-years across on average. Now, though, scientists have found that these clusters may be good places to look for space-faring civilizations.
"A globular cluster might be the first place in which intelligent life is identified in our galaxy," said Rosanne DiStefano, one of the researchers, in a news release.
Our Milky Way galaxy hosts about 150 globular clusters, most of them orbiting in the galactic outskirts. They formed about 10 billion years ago on average. As a result, their stars contain fewer of the heavy elements needed to construct planets, since those elements (like iron and silicon) must be created in earlier generations of stars. Some scientists have argued that this makes globular cluster stars less likely to host planets. In fact, only one planet has been found in a globular cluster to date.
With that said, there are those who argue that this view is far too pessimistic. Exoplanets have been found around stars only one-tenth as metal-rich as our sun. While Jupiter-sized planets are found mostly around stars containing higher levels of heavy elements, research finds that smaller, Earth-sized planets show no such preference.
Another concern is that a globular cluster's crowded environment would threaten any planets that do form. A neighboring star could wander too close and gravitationally disrupt a planetary system.
However, a star's habitable zone varies on the star. And because most stars in globular clusters are faint, long-lived red dwarves, any potentially habitable planets they would host would orbit nearby and be relatively safe from stellar interactions.
Because globular clusters are so old, they could also host civilizations that are far older than what can be found on Earth. In addition, interstellar travel would take less time in such a cluster because the stars are so close by.
The findings reveal that it may be possible that space-faring civilizations could be found in globular clusters. However, this is all theory. Hard proof has yet to be found in any form.
Related Articles
Andromeda Galaxy's X-Ray Sources are Created by Neutron Stars and Black Holes
New Technique to Measure Stars' Gravity May Help Us Discover Alien, Habitable Worlds
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone