A new study reveals the Tau Ceti system, a candidate for having Earth-like habitable planets, is apparently not as life-friendly as it seems.

Researchers from Arizona State University said it's highly unlikely colonized worlds in exoplanets in different star systems exist as they do in popular science fiction. These new findings are based on intensive analysis on both astronomy and geophysics about the habitability of planets in the Tau Ceti system.

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Prior studies believed Tau Ceti to be an ideal system for a potential future human colony. Some of the planets in this system are located in the habitable or Goldilocks Zone conducive to life.

In December 2012, astronomers were able to find evidence suggesting five planets, including the planets Tau Ceti e and f, were located in the habitable zone. Researchers later found out Tau Ceti e was the only one in the habitable zone, said astrophysicist Michael Pagano.

These new findings also reveal that Tau Ceti f has been in the habitable zone for less than one billion years, which is less than half the time needed for detectable changes to develop similar to the Earth's biosphere.

This means a planet that just recently entered the habitable zone of its system could be uninhabited and also lack detectable biosignatures of life.

Pagano said a study about the Tau Ceti system was carried out not because it would be a good candidate for extra terrestrial life but by banking on the notion it can host new worlds. Its host star apparently has a unique composition, which is 1.78 to 1 magnesium to silicon ratio or 70 percent higher than our own Sun.

Data was collected by the team and was analyzed by mineral physicist Sang-Heon (Dan) Shim in to get a clearer idea how this unusual star make-up could affect the other planets in its system. The high magnesium and silicon ratio could suggest the planets in Tau Ceti have a mineralogical composition that will be significantly different from Earth's.

More specifically, the mineral olivine can be found in the mantle. This can make mantle rock less viscous, causing the mantle rock to become hot and solid.

This, in turn, might have profound effects on geological features including volcanoes and tectonic plates that can impact life on the Tau Ceti planets.

This study was published in The Astrophysical Journal.

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