Asteroid Belts: Why Complex Life Is Unique In The Universe (So Far)
Thursday, November 1, 2012 - 17:10
in Astronomy & Space
Solar systems with life-bearing planets are, so far, unique. There is only one. But they would be rare anyway, if they are dependent on the presence of asteroid belts of just the right mass, according to two US astronomers. Rebecca Martin, a NASA Sagan Fellow from the University of Colorado and astronomer Mario Livio of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore suggest that the size and location of an asteroid belt, shaped by the evolution of the Sun's protoplanetary disk and by the gravitational influence of a nearby giant Jupiter-like planet, may determine whether complex life could evolve on an Earth-like planet. read more