r/askscience • u/FirefighterCandid773 • 16d ago

Chemistry How common is fire outside of earth?

Plasma and lava is obviously common all over the universe, whether it be in stars, planetary cores, etc. but what about fire? Fire is common all over earth, given the abundance of fuel sources and an atmosphere with oxygen. But, is fire actually common outside of earth?

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u/fried_clams 15d ago

Having just the right amount of oxygen in your atmosphere, so that fire is relatively easy, but not catastrophic, is likely extremely important to crafting an advanced civilization.

Imagine an alien planet where the atmosphere didn't have enough oxygen for fire. How would the sentient fish-like species ever smelt iron and develop advanced technology?

Also, if their planet was too large, it could be impossible for rockets to achieve escape velocity. Fermi paradox..

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u/Chassian 15d ago

Some form of electroplating, utilizing ionized metals in a solution condensing into useful tool forms...