Young Sun-Like Star Shows a Magnetic Field Was Critical for Life on the Early Earth
Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - 14:20
in Astronomy & Space
Nearly four billion years ago, life arose on Earth. Life appeared because our planet had a rocky surface, liquid water, and a blanketing atmosphere. But life thrived thanks to another necessary ingredient: the presence of a protective magnetic field. A new study of the young, Sun-like star Kappa Ceti shows that a magnetic field plays a key role in making a planet conducive to life.