Tau Ceti - Inhospitable to Life

UK astronomers studying the Tau Ceti system have discovered that it contains ten times as much material in the form of asteroids and comets as our own solar system. Tau Ceti, at only 12 light years away, is Earth's nearest Sun-like star and is easily visible without a telescope. The discovery suggests that any planets that may orbit Tau Ceti would not support life as we know it due to the inevitable large number of devastating collisions. It also suggests that the tranquil space environment around the Earth may be more unusual than previously realised. See the press PPARC release: Tau Ceti - Asteroid Alley

Image by David Hardy