Could desert planets from "Dune" and "Star Wars" support life? NASA has the answer (photo).

It is well-known that science fiction writers and screenwriters of fantasy films enjoy populating barren planets with various forms of life. Such worlds play a central role in blockbusters like "Dune" and "Star Wars." Fans of these cinematic universes are likely to be disappointed by the findings from NASA scientists regarding the potential habitability of such desert planets, as reported by Space.

The barren, desert landscape of the planet Arrakis, where the "Dune" films take place, is teeming with thousands of deadly sandworms. However, even on desert planets located in the habitable zones of their stars, where extraterrestrial life could potentially develop, survival is highly unlikely. This is due to the rapid loss of a significant portion of their water, according to scientists.

The authors of the study suggest that planets deemed suitable for life likely require surface water for traditional reasons, but that is not the only factor. Scientists have determined that water plays a crucial role in preventing temperature fluctuations on a planet. Life on Earth generally requires a relatively stable temperature to survive, so it is probable that the same applies to other worlds when it comes to the types of life we know.

Such desert planets, where the amount of water is significantly less than that of a single ocean on Earth, may be a common occurrence throughout the universe. Modeling has shown that there is a threshold amount of water necessary to maintain a stable climate. Even if a planet resides in the habitable zone of its star, where conditions allow for a moderate climate and liquid water, if it has insufficient water reserves, it becomes uninhabitable, scientists say.

Researchers concluded that Earth-like planets with ample water tend to remain climatically stable for about 4.5 billion years. However, planets with limited water appear to eventually lose this water and become unstable. Planets where less than 10% of the surface is covered by water are particularly at risk.

Most hot planets with some surface water also have rain clouds that help regulate the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thereby cooling them. The loss of such water content can disrupt the carbon cycle, as the weathering of silicates ceases to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, leading to uncontrolled climate change on the planet.

This scenario occurred on Venus, which was once habitable and had oceans of liquid water, according to scientists. Now, it is a scorching desert. If other potentially habitable desert worlds were to lose water in the same way Venus did, it is unlikely that any form of life could survive on these planets. This applies to Arrakis from "Dune" or Tatooine from "Star Wars."

At the same time, scientists note that their predictions regarding the habitability of such desert worlds are based on an understanding of evolution on Earth and what life might be like in general. They also suggest that living beings on such desert planets, as depicted in films, could have been introduced to these planets and genetically modified to survive.

However, local life could not arise, let alone evolve, on such desert worlds, according to scientists.