That planet circling Proxima Centauri may not be that great of a place to live

The closest planet to Earth outside of our solar system might not be a place you'd want to visit. 

Researchers have found that the planet — called Proxima b — was likely bathed in radiation after its host star (comparable to our sun), Proxima Centauri, emitted a huge flare in March. 

“March 24, 2017 was no ordinary day for Proxima Cen,” Meredith MacGregor, the lead author of the new study detailing the flare said in a statement.

“It’s likely that Proxima b was blasted by high energy radiation during this flare."

Proxima Centauri became more than 1,000 times brighter than usual during the flare, according to a new study published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters. Read more...