Habitable Zone Planets in Triple Star Systems: A Common Occurrence?
University of Florida astronomers have found that one-third of the planets orbiting the most common stars in the Milky Way, M dwarf stars, could be in a habitable zone. The remaining two-thirds of the planets could be roasted by tidal forces, sterilizing them. The researchers measured the eccentricity of over 150 planets around M dwarf stars and found that stars with multiple planets were more likely to have circular orbits that allow them to retain liquid water. The data came from NASA's Kepler telescope and the Gaia telescope.
