Zona habitável galáctica: riscos e oportunidades que condicionam a existência de ambientes potencialmente habitáveis em mundos telúricos na Via Láctea

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the concept of galactic habitability in the Milky Way, emphasizing the influence of the massive variation of stellar bodies and their proximity as determining factors for the existence and maintenance of potentially habitable environments. The study is bibliographically situated within the field of astrobiology, an interdisciplinary science that investigates the conditions necessary for the emergence of life at different cosmic scales. Starting from the notion of a planetary habitable zone, the work expands the scope of the analysis to the galactic context, considering factors such as stellar density, radiation, and orbital dynamics. In the inner portions of the galactic disk, close to the nucleus, a high concentration of massive stars, a higher rate of supernovae, and intense emission of gamma radiation and cosmic rays are observed conditions that tend to make these regions hostile to the stability of planetary systems and the preservation of atmospheres. On the other hand, data shows that more distant, but not extremely dispersed, regions tend to present less risk to the stability of planets and moons. Thus, the research shows how the distance and density between stellar bodies become critical parameters: very dense regions increase the risk of gravitational disturbances and destructive events, while very dispersed regions reduce the probability of planetary formation.