Stars that contain comparatively large amounts of heavy elements provide less favourable conditions for the emergence of complex life than metal-poor stars, as scientists from the Max Planck Institutes for Solar System Research and for Chemistry as well as from the University of Göttingen have now found. The team showed how the metallicity of a star is connected to the ability of its planets to surround themselves with a protective ozone layer. Crucial to this is the intensity of the ultraviolet light that the star emits into space, in different wavelength ranges. The study provides scientists searching the sky with space telescopes for habitable star systems with important clues as to where this endeavour could be particularly promising. It also suggests a startling conclusion: as the universe ages, it becomes increasingly unfriendly to the emergence of complex life on new planets.
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