<p>A very low mass M-dwarf (what you have there is something like an M5-M6 dwarf) will remain a highly magnetically active star for several billion years.</p>

<p>As such, the spectrum of light from such an object has a much higher proportion, by several orders of magnitude, of UV and X-ray emission than the Sun.</p>

<p>Therefore, if your planet is close enough to its star to receive a similar bolometric flux as the Earth does from the Sun, then it will get a very hefty dose of UV and X-rays. In addition to this, there will be flaring activity that raises these levels by more orders of magnitude for minutes or hours at a time.</p>

<p>There is not enough detail to know how well the planet is shielded from this, but it is unlikely to be habitable (by us).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-01T06:29:51.953Z
2019-04-01T06:29:51.953Z
ProfRob
<p>I'm given this set of data and I need to describe the habitability. Would this not be habitable since the temperature of the albedo and the equilibrium is similar to Earth's or does the Spectral Type M affect the planet that much?</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Spectral Type: M</p></li>
<li><p>Age of the Star (Gyr): 0.664</p></li>
<li><p>Binary System: Single Star</p></li>
<li><p>Planet Orbital Period (Years): 0.0387</p></li>
<li><p>Planet Semi-Major Axis (AU): 0.0613</p></li>
<li><p>Planet Mass (Earth Masses): 1.87</p></li>
<li><p>Planet Radius (Earth Radii): 1.24</p></li>
<li><p>Method of First Detection: Transit</p></li>
<li><p>Eccentricity: 0.11 </p></li>
<li><p>Atmospheric Composition (Percent by Volume): </p>

<p>N2  77.8<br />
CO2 0.00368<br />
H2O 2.37<br />
O2  19.8 </p></li>
<li><p>Number of other (known) Planets in the System: 1</p></li>
<li><p>Location in the Galaxy: Open Cluster</p></li>
<li><p>Distance from Earth (lightyears): 960</p></li>
<li><p>Atmospheric Pressure (atm): 1</p></li>
<li><p>Stellar Mass (Solar Masses): 0.154</p></li>
<li><p>Planetary Albedo: 0.271</p></li>
<li><p>Planet Equilibrium Temperature (K): 243</p></li>
<li><p>Stellar Radius (Solar Radii): 0.171</p></li>
<li><p>Orbital Inclination (degrees): 5.7</p></li>
<li><p>Planet Axial Tilt (degrees): 18.4</p></li>
<li><p>Magnetic Field Strength (Units of Earth Magnetic Field): 0.109</p></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-01T05:44:59.637Z
This doesn't seem to be real data. It is a made up world.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-01T06:06:52.130Z
Your question looks unclear. Please fix it ASAP - a closure vote is going on.
peterh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-01T06:22:37.400Z
Fried by UV and X-ray flares.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-01T07:32:23.957Z
That high percentage of atmospheric oxygen is a bit suspicious, although I guess it could have been produced by UV photolysis of atmospheric water.
PM 2Ring
<exoplanet><spectral-type>
Compare this planet to Earth and determined its habitability (can humans live in this environment?)
Kevin Wang
# Compare this planet to Earth and determined its habitability (can humans live in this environment?)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-04-01)

I'm given this set of data and I need to describe the habitability. Would this not be habitable since the temperature of the albedo and the equilibrium is similar to Earth's or does the Spectral Type M affect the planet that much?

* Spectral Type: M
* Age of the Star (Gyr): 0.664
* Binary System: Single Star
* Planet Orbital Period (Years): 0.0387
* Planet Semi-Major Axis (AU): 0.0613
* Planet Mass (Earth Masses): 1.87
* Planet Radius (Earth Radii): 1.24
* Method of First Detection: Transit
* Eccentricity: 0.11
* Atmospheric Composition (Percent by Volume):

  N2 77.8  
  CO2 0.00368  
  H2O 2.37  
  O2 19.8
* Number of other (known) Planets in the System: 1
* Location in the Galaxy: Open Cluster
* Distance from Earth (lightyears): 960
* Atmospheric Pressure (atm): 1
* Stellar Mass (Solar Masses): 0.154
* Planetary Albedo: 0.271
* Planet Equilibrium Temperature (K): 243
* Stellar Radius (Solar Radii): 0.171
* Orbital Inclination (degrees): 5.7
* Planet Axial Tilt (degrees): 18.4
* Magnetic Field Strength (Units of Earth Magnetic Field): 0.109

**Tags:** exoplanet, spectral-type
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This doesn't seem to be real data. It is a made up world.  
> **username_2**: Your question looks unclear. Please fix it ASAP - a closure vote is going on.  
> **username_3**: Fried by UV and X-ray flares.  
> **username_4**: That high percentage of atmospheric oxygen is a bit suspicious, although I guess it could have been produced by UV photolysis of atmospheric water.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-04-01. Score: 2

A very low mass M-dwarf (what you have there is something like an M5-M6 dwarf) will remain a highly magnetically active star for several billion years.

As such, the spectrum of light from such an object has a much higher proportion, by several orders of magnitude, of UV and X-ray emission than the Sun.

Therefore, if your planet is close enough to its star to receive a similar bolometric flux as the Earth does from the Sun, then it will get a very hefty dose of UV and X-rays. In addition to this, there will be flaring activity that raises these levels by more orders of magnitude for minutes or hours at a time.

There is not enough detail to know how well the planet is shielded from this, but it is unlikely to be habitable (by us).


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