Could there be life in the galaxies nearest to the Milky Way?
Is there any reason that there may not be, or might not have been, inhabited planets in the galaxies that are nearest to the Milky Way? The galaxies that are nearest to the Milky Way are mostly small galaxies that aren’t very bright. Some of them (though not all) have low rates of star formation, and many are in the process of being torn apart by gravitational interaction with the Milky Way. Overall, these qualities aren’t very favorable for the presence of Earth-like planets and life. Galaxies that aren’t very bright also tend to have low metallicities (metallicity is a measure of the amount of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium in the galaxy; these elements are created in the cores of dying stars – in particular, hot bright stars – so bright galaxies with long histories of star formation are more likely to have high metallicity). These heavy elements are needed in order for rocky planets like the Earth to form. In addition, irregular galaxies being torn apart by the Milky Way
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