Are red dwarf planets habitable?

Much recent news about exoplanets has concerned the discovery of earth-sized planets in the “habitable zone” of “red dwarf” stars. This is partly because such planets are more easily found around small stars, and partly because most stars are red dwarfs. Can planets in the habitable zone around a red dwarf could actually harbor earth-like life? Until recently most astronomers would have said “no” but this is changing. Professor Basri will explain why and talk about recent discoveries.

Speaker: Gibor Basri, UC Berkeley