low-mass stars – Astronomy Now

Astronomers find oldest known star in the Milky Way

6 November 2018 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have found what may be the oldest star in the Milky Way, a tiny 13.5-billion-year-old body made up primarily of elements created in the Big Bang.

Infant stars discovered surprisingly near galaxy’s supermassive black hole

28 November 2017 Astronomy Now

At the centre of our galaxy, in the immediate vicinity of its supermassive black hole, is a region wracked by powerful tidal forces and bathed in intense ultraviolet light and X-ray radiation. These harsh conditions, astronomers surmise, do not favour star formation, especially low-mass stars like our Sun. Surprisingly, new observations suggest otherwise.

Magnetic fields likely protect Earth-like planets around small stars

30 September 2015 Astronomy Now

Earth-like planets orbiting close to small stars probably have magnetic fields that protect them from stellar radiation and help maintain surface conditions that could be conducive to life, according to research from astronomers at the University of Washington just published in the journal Astrobiology.