Aliens could be common on planets orbiting stars similar in size to our own sun, according to new research.
Nearly half of such stars come in pairs, known as binary systems. Their combined energy extends the habitable region further away, making it larger. They heat each other’s worlds, as well as their own, meaning they have a greater chance of being orbited by one that has liquid water.
The project leader, Professor Jes Kristian Jorgensen, of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, said: “The result is exciting since the search for extraterrestrial life will be equipped with several new, extremely powerful instruments within the coming years.
“This enhances the significance of understanding how planets are formed around different types of stars. Such results may pinpoint places which would be especially interesting to probe for the existence of life.”
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