Exoplanet

This artist’s illustration shows flares on a red star that is only about a tenth the mass of the Sun. The planet on the left in the background has abundant greenhouse gases, giving a cloudy atmosphere. A recent study has been made of a nearby star similar to the one depicted here. The study suggests that the warming effects of the greenhouse gases in any planet located in the outer regions of the habitable zone are required to allow life to flourish. Any planets located closer to the star likely receive too much high energy radiation from the star for life to flourish.