The statement that a canopy of water once shielded man from the sun's radiation is <u>True</u>.
<u>Explanation:</u>
The canopy of water forms a wall of boundary around the earth's outer surface which does not let the harmful radiations of the sun which is also known as the ultra violet rays to reach the inner surface of the earth, therefore protecting the people from the radiations of the sun by blocking the UV rays.
Considering that the star is less massive than the sun, the smaller mass of the star would provide a less strong force of gravity at any distance, and consequently a lower orbital speed. Thus, the year of the planet would be longer than that of the Earth.