Thursday, January 15, 2026

Red Dwarfs Are Too Dim To Generate Complex Life

This artist's illustration shows what the view might be from the surface of TRAPPIST-1f. It orbits a dim red dwarf star, and new research examines the idea that photosynthesis could occur in such dim, weak light. Without it, complex life is extremely unlikely. Image Credit: Mark Garlick

New research shows that complex life is unlikely to ever exist around cool, dim red dwarfs. About 33% of the Milky Way's stars are late M dwarfs, which are the smallest, coolest stars, and are the easiest stars to detect Earth-like planets around. The stars aren't bright enough for photosynthetic organisms to create a Great Oxygenation Event, which led to complex animal life here on Earth.



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