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Makes you wonder whether the remarkable density of terrestrial planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system is the result of engineering. Maybe somebody is planning far ahe
by wcoenen 9y ago
Makes you wonder whether the remarkable density of terrestrial planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system is the result of engineering. Maybe somebody is planning far ahead and counting on the tiny star's long lifetime (which is in the trillions of years) to keep their civilization going?
On the other hand, the intense star flares and tidal locking seem very inconvenient.
- avmich 9y ago> which is in the trillions of years Is it always such a big lifetime for small stars? White dwarfs have a long lifetime, but they have interesting stories behind them; what about other types of small stars?
- wolfram74 9y agoIf I'm not mistaken, the smaller stars don't have as high a gravitational gradient and are fully convective so the helium ash and hydrogen fuel mix closer to uniformly, allowing them to burn through all of it. Stars on the scale of sol slowly build up helium until it chokes out, compresses and starts burning helium at higher temperatures, causing the rest of it to expand.