Odd Tilts Could Make More Worlds Habitable

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Odd Tilts Could Make More Worlds Habitable

Pivoting planets that lean one way and then change orientation within a short geological time period might be surprisingly habitable, according to new modeling by NASA and university scientists affiliated with the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

The climate effects generated on these wobbling worlds could prevent them from turning into glacier-covered ice lockers, even if those planets are somewhat far from their stars. And with some water remaining liquid on the surface long-term, such planets could maintain favorable conditions for life.

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[Space Commander Travis]

I love these ways that even unlikely looking environments could turn out to have these loopholes that may make them not quite so unpromising. There really is a universe full of infinite possibilities, isn't there. And that's only thinking in terms of the "goldilocks Zone", without even thinking whether life might find it possible to exist in conditions we think utterly impossible.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

without even thinking whether life might find it possible to exist in conditions we think utterly impossible.

There are, of course, limitations on the conditions that life as we know it can exist. Whilst extremophiles show us that life can exist in a huge variety of conditions we understand enough about chemistry to know that there are limits beyond which the complex chemistry required for life simply can not occur.

Knowing these limits we can discount the possibility of life from many environments.

What this study shows is that we still don't know enough about exoplanets to know what conditions lead to environments friendly to life. Whilst we still have only one example of a planet with life we simply can not extrapolate and judge how common or rare life really is.

To quote one of my favourite authors:

Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.

- Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - 2008)

[Space Commander Travis]

What this study shows is that we still don't know enough about exoplanets to know what conditions lead to environments friendly to life. Whilst we still have only one example of a planet with life we simply can not extrapolate and judge how common or rare life really is.

Indeed, that's what I've always said.

[taniwha]

Seasonally tilted planets would be even more likely habitable

Edited April 16, 2014 by taniwha