This One Planetary Feature May Be Crucial For The Rise of Complex Life in The Universe
9 JULY 2021
The way a planet is tilted on its rotational axis with respect to its orbital plane around a star - what we know as 'axial tilt' - could be key to the emergence of complex life.
According to a new study, a modest axial tilt, like Earth's, helps increase the production of oxygen, which is vital for life as we know it - and planets with tilts that are too small or too large might not be able to produce enough oxygen for complex life to thrive.