Astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the star closest to the Sun. This is a star of spectral type M, with 12% the mass of the Sun and 15% the size of the Sun. The habitable zone around this star would be
A) much larger (wider) than the Sun's
B) much closer to the star than the Sun's
C) in about the same place as the Sun's asteroid belt
D) much more narrow (small) than the diameter of any planet
E) the source of all the UFO's that have been reported by UFO believers on Earth

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The habitable zone around Proxima Centauri would be much closer to the star than the Sun's, due to its smaller size and lower luminosity. This means that planets within the habitable zone would need to orbit much closer to the star in order to receive sufficient warmth for liquid water to exist on their surfaces.

Astronomers Have Discovered a Planet Orbiting Proxima Centauri, the Star