Terminator Zone

In News

• A recent study conducted by astronomers from the University of California suggested the possibility of aliens hiding in special ‘terminator zones’ on distant exoplanets, where the temperature is not too hot or cold.
  • An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System.

What are terminator zones?

• Various exoplanets, which are outside our solar system, remain tidally locked and hence, one side always continues to face the star around which they orbit and the other side remains permanently in darkness.
• The astronomers, in their study, found that there is a band around these planets in which there is a possibility that they are harbouring liquid water which is the main ingredient for life.
• This band is called the ‘terminator or twilight zone’ where the terminator acts as the dividing line between the day side and night side of the exoplanet.

Source: DH