The main obstacle to finding a habitable exoplanet similar to Earth has a name: black holes

A study in The Astrophysical Journal modeled winds from active supermassive black holes in galactic nuclei.

Researchers identified two regimes: weaker winds that cool and have limited impact, and stronger energy-driven winds that can heat and strip atmospheres.

Even exoplanets far from the black hole could lose atmospheric protection, including ozone, reducing habitability.

The findings add a new risk factor for life in galaxies with active black holes.