Why Do Astronomers NOT Consider Stars with Masses More Than

question 12

Multiple Choice

Why do astronomers NOT consider stars with masses more than about 1.5 solar masses in the Drake equation when estimating the number of possible stars in the Milky Way Galaxy around which planets could form that would support intelligent life similar to humans?

• A) More massive stars would produce massive planets on which life would not be possible.
• B) More massive stars would never reach temperatures sufficient to maintain life-supporting conditions on the surfaces of its planets.
• C) A more massive star would produce so much damaging UV radiation that it would sterilize its planets.
• D) More massive stars would have evolved so rapidly that an advanced civilization would not have had time to evolve and develop.

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Definitions:

Monolingual

A person or system capable of using or understanding only one language.

Symbolic Structure

Internal and external systems of symbols, signs, and meanings that guide and structure human communication and understanding.

Morpheme Structure

The arrangement and composition of morphemes, which are the smallest grammatical units in a language, contributing to semantic meaning.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language, including the meanings of words, phrases, and sentences.