Description
X-rays reveal: the temperament of possible stars that harbor the planet.A new X-ray study has revealed that stars like the Sun and its less massive cousins are surprisingly quiet quickly after turbulent youth. This result has positive implications for the long-term habitability of the planets orbiting these stars. A team of researchers used data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton to see how the X-ray brightness of Sun-like stars behaves over time. The X-ray emission of a star comes from a thin, warm, outer layer, called the crown. From studies of solar X-ray emission, astronomers have determined that the crown is heated by processes related to the interaction of turbulent motions and magnetic fields in the outer layers of a star.High levels of magnetic activity can produce bright X-rays and ultraviolet light from stellar flares. Strong magnetic activity can also generate powerful eruptions of material from the star's surface. Such radiation and energetic eruptions can affect planets and could damage or destroy their atmospheres, as noted in previous studies, including Chandra's work reported in 2011 and 2013. Because stellar X-rays reflect magnetic activity, lightning observations X can tell astronomers about the high-energy environment around the star. #ymasciencia