Spectral Type K - Epsilon Eridani

Stellar Data

Type of Star:

Spectral Class:

Distance:

Luminosity:

Mass:

Surface Temperature:

Main Sequence Lifetime:

Orange Dwarf

K2V

10,8 Lightyears

0,3 L

0,7 Solar Masses

5.200 K

15 Billion Years

The Environment of Epsilon Eridani

Habitable Zone:

Zone of Stable Planetary Orbits:

Known Companions:

0,4 - 0,6 AU

Unlimited

None

Comparison to Solar System

Epsilon Eridani

Sun

Morning fog covers a humid valley on Epsilon Eridani b.

Main sequence stars of spectral type K are slightly smaller, less massive and cooler than our sun. The second most common stars within the galaxy, they have a longer lifetime, and their ecosphere is narrower and also closer to the star.

Epsilon Eridani is an excellent candidate for extraterrestrial life. Though it is a star of spectral type K, it is still very similar to our own sun. An Earth-sized planet may still have an acceptable climate. Epsilon Eridani does not have any stellar companions, which could have disturbed the formation of planets. This star was among the first targets for Frank Drake's first run of SETI in 1960, and future generations of telescopes should settle the question of life at Epsilon Eridani very soon, within the next few decades. As a prerequisite for planets, a faint disk of dust of 60 AU radius has been detected around Epsilon Eridani.