Dwarf and planet (IMAGE) University of California - Riverside Caption Illustration of a red dwarf star orbited by a hypothetical exoplanet. Red dwarfs erupt with intense flares that could strip a nearby planet's atmosphere over time, or make the surface inhospitable to life as we know it. Credit NASA/ESA/STScI/G. Bacon Usage Restrictions No restrictions. License Public Domain Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.