Red Dwarfs: The Universe’s Most Common Stars

Red dwarfs make up about 70% of all stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
They are small, cool stars with surface temperatures under 4,000 K.
Despite their faint glow, red dwarfs can burn for trillions of years—far longer than the Sun.
Their low mass, often less than half that of the Sun, keeps them stable and long-lived.
Many red dwarfs host exoplanets, some within the star’s habitable zone.
Proxima Centauri, our closest star, is a red dwarf.
Their dim light makes them invisible to the naked eye, despite being so numerous.
Red dwarfs flare unpredictably, sometimes blasting nearby planets with radiation.
Because of their longevity, they will dominate the universe’s future star population.
Astronomers study red dwarfs to better understand planetary systems and the potential for life.