Giant Gas Planets Detrimental to Stability of Habitable Zones in Other Star Systems, Studies Reveal

Influence of Massive Planets Raises Doubts About Earth-Like Life Elsewhere; Gravitational Disruptions Impact Stability of Potential Habitable Zones in Other Star Systems.

Gas giant planets, like Jupiter, can create chaos in young planetary systems, often disrupting the stable orbits of smaller, Earth-sized planets and negatively impacting their climates.
The research studied the star system HD 141399, which consists of four gas giants; computer simulations found that it is very unlikely for an Earth-like planet to maintain a stable orbit in the system due to the disruptive gravitational pull of these giants.
Another study highlighted the system GJ 357 where a large planet, possibly ten times the mass of Earth, in the habitable zone could prevent Earth-like planets from establishing stable orbits, leading to highly elliptical and unstable climatic conditions
A different type of gas giants, known as Hot Jupiters, are common around young stars and could disappear in older star systems as they fall into their stars when their orbits decay, lending to the dynamic nature of planetary systems.
These studies suggest that the existence and maintenance of life on exoplanets in the habitable zones of their star systems can be significantly hindered by the presence of gas giants, warning against premature assumptions about alien life based on planets' locations in habitable zones.