Around Small Stars, Tilted Planets May Be Less Habitable

Planets orbiting distant stars may have the right conditions for life if they exist in the so-called habitable zone — a region around the star where the planet will receive enough sunlight so that liquid water could exist on its surface. But a new study shows that for a planet orbiting a type of small, dim star known as an M-dwarf, the planet's tilt can make the worldinhospitable, even if it lies within the star's habitable zone. A planet with 0 degrees obliquity has a north pole pointed s