Is Anyone Home?

Your guide to exoplanet habitability 

(for life as we know it) 

INTERIOR

Core

A liquid iron core is important for protecting life on a planet’s surface.

The movement of molten iron generates a magnetic field, which shields the atmosphere from stellar activity. 

Some planets with iron cores, like Earth, start with a completely liquid core which crystallizes over time. 

For planets with small cores, the core may completely solidify, turning off the magnetic field. 

SOURCES

Based on “Impact of Space Weather on Climate and Habitability of Terrestrial Type of Exoplanets,” Airapetian et al. (2019). Specific contributions from Ravi Kumar Kopparapu, Wade Henning and Joshua Schlieder.