Assuming the Encounter Hypothesis Is Correct and Planets Can Only

question 12

Multiple Choice

Assuming the encounter hypothesis is correct and planets can only form from the gravitational interactions between passing stars, what implications does this have for the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe?

• A) there would be no possibility of life at all because close stellar encounters never occur
• B) life would be exceedingly rare because close stellar encounters are exceedingly rare
• C) we have no way to determine the probability of close stellar encounters so we have no way of knowing
• D) life would be very common because stellar close encounters are constantly occurring

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