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Q&A

Posts tagged moons

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Rigorous Science What would the moon look like if its orbit was highly inclined?

How would the phases of the moon change depending on the inclination of its orbit with respect to its primary's equatorial plane? Earth's moon has an orbit that is rather close to the ecliptic, but...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Robbie‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Robbie‭

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Q&A What are the day and night fluctuations for a moon orbiting a planet the size of Jupiter?

In a nutshell, I'm trying to build a world with erratic day/night cycles. To get the erratic days, I'm working with a habitable moon. It takes 3 full earth days (72 hours) for the habitable moon ...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Firelocke‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Firelocke‭

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Rigorous Science Would mining huge amounts of resources on the Moon change its orbit?

Imagine that humanity builds mining facilities on the moon. We know that the moon has Helium-3 which could be used as fuel for fusion reactors. Also, there are a lot of other resources which could ...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Mr.D‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Mr.D‭

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Q&A Earth like planet with two moon like satellites

I was thinking about this world with different ancient factions on war. The war caused both of them and most life on the planet to die, I was thinking about one of the moons getting shattered as a ...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by hOlim‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by hOlim‭

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Q&A 160 Year Solar Orbital Period & 1.9 Year Moon Orbital Period - Is it possible?

A defining factor of my world is the hardships inhabitants have to face when surviving long seasons. Due to the extreme length of a year, time is largely measured by moon cycles. I need to make sur...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by DorianHuxley‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by DorianHuxley‭

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Q&A Determining this horseshoe/co-orbital moon's possible orbital periods

I've been working on a system with a habitable moon (Moon A) for a story, and I'm now trying to populate the other moons around the parent planet. I'm considering placing one (Moon B) in a co-orbi...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Dalila‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Dalila‭

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Rigorous Science To make a blue moon, what element does it need?

We know that Mars has a reddish color, because its ground consists of iron-based compounds. The moon is grey-whiteish because it consists mostly of silicon-based compounds. What element should the...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Mr.D‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Mr.D‭

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Q&A Tides with 3 Largish Moons

I would like to have an Earth-like planet (~Earth gravity, ~Earth day, ~Earth year, and liquid water oceans) with extreme variance in its tides. I want the lowest tide to reveal about 30 miles of f...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by 007th Bondsmith‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by 007th Bondsmith‭

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Q&A How primitive should the alien technology be to exchange knowledge and culture?

In almost every sci fi alien trope there will be a directive whereby one of the general order states no spacecraft may interfere with the normal development of any alien life or society and is puni...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by user6760‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by user6760‭

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Q&A How can this habitable planet have a moon with a naturally occurring atmosphere?

Assuming the planet is earth-like, with more surface water and atmospheric oxygen, and within the habitable zone of a sun-like star, how can a moon orbiting this planet retain a thick atmosphere? ...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Tardigreat‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Tardigreat‭

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Q&A What's the biggest, most spectacular asteroid collision the moon could save us from?

An asteroid collision big enough and fast enough to see a massive ejection of rock and moon-chunks, from the surface of the earth AND not wipe out the population of the planet. What size and speed...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by geekman‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by geekman‭

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Q&A Could we use both speed and heat to penetrate Europa's ice?

Could we fire a heavy, long (e.g., 50 meters), spear-shaped object into Europa's icy-surface from space and then, when momentum stops, gravity gradually moves weights down inside copper tubes the l...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Dean‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Dean‭

Question moons materials
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Q&A How can a moon have an ever-changing face?

Imagine an inhabitated planet like ours with a moon of the same projected size in the sky. The moon has visible structures of colors or darker and lighter areas. Every evening when the moon gets ...

18 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Elmy‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Elmy‭

Question astronomy moons
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Q&A How does having 3 moons change a planet?

I'm working on a story that takes place on a world that has 3 moons. At least 2 of the moons are the same size. They align extremely rarely. Otherwise, it's an earth-like planet. There is one...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Tiffany Moon‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Tiffany Moon‭

Question planets moons gravity
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Q&A Co-orbits and Tides

I've seen many questions about tides and tidal variations on a wide variety of interesting single star, multi star, single planet, binary planet, single moon, multiple moon, and even ring system co...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Dalila‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Dalila‭

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Q&A By what mechanism could a planet be locked into permanent solar eclipse?

I've got an image in my head of a world where it's just normal that the star is black with a golden halo around it - in other words, where the planet is in a state of perpetual solar eclipse. Are ...

4 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Nerrolken‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Nerrolken‭

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Q&A Does my plot point centered around eclipses make sense?

My main antagonist is an infant Great One that's been imprisoned below the Moon's surface and I want its influence and physical form to have a weakness to direct sunlight which, I think, gives me a...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by DoctorJerk‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by DoctorJerk‭

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Q&A How deep must be a pit on the moon to hold atmosphere at 1ATM on the bottom

In my world I would like to create a pit on the Moon filled with air. How deep would the pit need to be to get 1 ATM of pressure Could the pit maintain the air or would it be lost to space? If i...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Igor Novelli‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Igor Novelli‭

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Q&A Creating a gas-giant based empire, how can I maximize the amount of Earth-sized habitable worlds around a gas giant?

As the title says. I need to have at least 3-5 habitable Earth-gravity worlds (preferably with atmosphere, nitrogen oxygen) as many smaller, lifeless moons as possible, and a planetary ring. (i.e. ...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Armok‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Armok‭

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Q&A Anchoring a Deimos base

Some astronauts have just arrived in Mars orbit! They're fixing to set up a small refueling station/outpost on Deimos. One problem, how might they keep their small habitat and associated structures...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by The Imperial‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by The Imperial‭

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Q&A Would a moon shatter if it collided with an unmovable barrier?

For story purposes, I'm trying to determine what would happen if a small moon-sized object crashed into an unmovable barrier surrounding a planet. My goal here is to eventually get a ring surroundi...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Thomas Myron‭

Question moons physics
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Q&A Gravitational anomaly (Mascons) creating water-hills

A scenario in the far future -- The moon has been successfully terraformed. All problems have been worked-out, from flinging volatiles into collision course with the moon, up to creating and retain...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Christmas Snow‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Christmas Snow‭

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Q&A Always a full Moon for the Emperor - Can this be achieved with solar panels and LEDs?

The Emperor of the World wants there always to be a full moon. His Scientific Advisor (the SA) comes up with a plan. He plans to cost out the venture, hand it over to the Keeper of the Treasury wh...

13 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by chasly from UK‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by chasly from UK‭

Question moons light
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Q&A Can giant planets in the habitable zone have rocky moons?

My question is in the context of a fictional super-Neptune that lies in the habitable zone of its host star system. Giant planets only form beyond the Frost Line of their protoplanetary disk, and...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Arkenstein XII‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Arkenstein XII‭

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Q&A Where is the best place to park your damaged spaceship, longterm?

Your large spaceship is damaged beyond repair. You manage to get it close enough to a planet so that you can release emergency shuttle craft. You have very little control over the ship and won't be...

11 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by EveryBitHelps‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by EveryBitHelps‭

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Q&A Would a Moon made of water pose a threat to Earth during eclipses?

Is a moon made entirely of water possible? Could a planet made completely of water exist? I was inspired by the above questions to ask the following: Assume that our current Moon is replaced ins...

6 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by chasly from UK‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by chasly from UK‭

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Q&A How big could an alien-made object on the far side of the moon become so that discovery still can only happen by accident?

A great way to introduce advanced technology to a story is to have it be of extraterrestrial origin. E.g. have a spaceship crash on earth, or, like I was planning to, put a derelict spaceport on th...

6 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by dot_Sp0T‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by dot_Sp0T‭

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Q&A Moon take off without rockets

Take-off in a craft with rockets allows a gentle acceleration that doesn't kill the occupants. Given that the Moon has no atmosphere: Is there any current technology that would allow safe takeoff ...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by chasly from UK‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by chasly from UK‭

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Q&A Can Europan ice cracks sustain complex ecosystems?

Europa's surface is marred with huge, curved cracks, called lineae, which may - depending on the thickness of its icy crust - expose the subsurface ocean to sunlight. Pictures like the one above...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by SealBoi‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by SealBoi‭

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Rigorous Science If Earth's Moon Were Ganymede-Like, Part I: Rotation

I know that in the past I posted questions on if specific bodies larger than the moon--Mars in one and Titan in another--but this series deals with questions regarding Earth's effects by a natural ...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by JohnWDailey‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by JohnWDailey‭

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Rigorous Science Could I have an earth-like planet from which sun and moon would never be simultaneously visible?

On earth there can be hours where the moon is up during the same time the sun is in the sky (daytime moon) due to the combined rotation of earth and orbit of the moon. I would like to have an earth...

7 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by DerGreif‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by DerGreif‭

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Q&A Could the TRAPPIST-1 planets have moons?

The TRAPPIST-1 planets are all very close to each other and thus are subjected to strong gravitational forces amongst each other and to the red dwarf they're orbiting. Would it be possible for them...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Böller‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Böller‭

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Q&A Feasible star + planet + moon combo? Did I miss anything that makes this system wildly unstable or otherwise impossible?

Here's what I've come up with: The star: A main sequence star, roughly a sol analogue Younger than Sol (say 3-3.5 billion years old) roughly the same starting mass as Sol, but has had less tim...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Dalila‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Dalila‭

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Q&A Is there a relationship between apparent moon size and orbital distance around an earth-analogue?

I would like to give my imaginary earth-analogue planet multiple (natural) moons. Is the orbital period of such moons at all related to their size (or apparent size)? In other words, am I free ...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Jack‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Jack‭

Question moons
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Q&A Could this moon of a gas giant orbiting a neutron star support life?

Making the following assumptions: 1. The three moons of the Gas Giant are safe enough distances from and massive enough not to pull each other apart or send themselves careening into the void. 2...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Adlez‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Adlez‭

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Q&A How can Ganymede have an Earth-like gravity without us having realized it?

Imagine a small primitive humanoid civilization that developed independently in caves under the surface of Ganymede. We can assume there's enough light that filters through the crystalline surface ...

11 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Admiral Jota‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Admiral Jota‭

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Q&A Earth Exploded, Orbiting and double moons

I have a scenario which I am too poorly knowledgeable to address, I'm hoping for some expert input. I'm currently writing a novel, in which a large section of Russia/EU continents were blown up i...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Pensive‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Pensive‭

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Q&A Earth Orbit Extreme Change

So recently I got slated for missing some glaring obvious flaws in my story on here, which I really do appreciate. I'm approaching the question from a different angle though, in two parts. What w...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Pensive‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Pensive‭

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Q&A What is the maximum orbital time for my moon around my planet?

I fear the math involved is beyond my capabilities on this one. I have what I consider to be more than a Layman's understanding of the physics involved, and I believe I can follow the math well en...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Dalila‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Dalila‭

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Q&A How would the transfer of mass from the Moon to Earth change the rotation, orbit and speed of the Moon and Earth?

I've read the creation of dams in Earth can change the speed of rotation of the planet because they reallocate the mass over the planet. Let's suppose humans find a valuable mineral in the Moon an...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Pablo‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Pablo‭

Question moons
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Q&A Could a gas giant's moon have stable rings?

The planet orbits a supermassive gas giant, almost double the size of Jupiter. But the planet orbiting it is also supposed to have rather large rings in my story. Question: Is it possible for a mo...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Axolotl‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Axolotl‭

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Q&A Massive tides and resources

Assuming a situation similar to this, where the moon causes slower but massive tides that slowly encircle the globe. Would the poles be constantly underwater or not underwater (like A or B below)?:...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by depperm‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by depperm‭

Question moons water tides
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Q&A What's the smallest reasonable natural planet or moon with Earth-like surface gravity?

We all know that equation for surface gravity is $$ g = \frac{4\pi}{3} G \rho r $$ So if we want Earth-like surface gravity of $ g = 9.81 $, then the equation for radius is $$ r = \frac{3 g}{4\p...

6 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Mołot‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Mołot‭

Question planets moons
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Q&A Details needed for day cycle of lunar world orbiting a gas giant

I'm writing a science fiction story set on a moon orbiting a gas giant. I want to understand how the world's day night cycle would appear from its surface and how the world might be affected by thi...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Rob596‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Rob596‭

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Q&A Is this planetary moon's calendar possible?

I'm attempting to create a world that has very brutal, hard swinging weather and environments, leaving much of the planet desert-like. The world I've designed is a moon of a gas giant. The Parent ...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Skyler‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Skyler‭

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Q&A Can a habitable moon rely on the magnetosphere of its parent planet for radiation protection?

Science-based answers, please. Key points: the main concern is radiation protection for sustainability of human life (and accompanying plant and animal life ecosystems, whether earth-like or n...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Dalila‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Dalila‭

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Q&A Geostationary moon

My planet is very Earth-like with a day length of 26.87h. The moon has a radius of about 1550km, a mass of $5.2\times10^{22}$ kg and orbit 45500 km from the center of planet. My scenario is that t...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Jean-Abdel‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Jean-Abdel‭

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Rigorous Science Could I use a series of magnetic asteroids to create a magnetic field for mars?

If I push a couple of magnetic asteroids into mars gravitational field, could they form an interlocking series of magnetic fields able to protect mars from solar winds? Size limits for asteroids ...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Clay Deitas‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Clay Deitas‭

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Q&A If our moon had an atmosphere, could it have seasons?

Because our moon is tidally locked with Earth, then the same half always faces the Earth regardless of where the Moon is in its orbit. As such, would a tidally locked satellite such as our moon (as...

5 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Nerevar98‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Nerevar98‭

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Q&A How big does a moon have to be to have the earth locked to it?

I would like a earth-moon system like Pluto-Charon (but with earth instead of Pluto) where both will be tidally locked to each other within something like 3 billion years (before complex life appea...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Jean-Abdel‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Jean-Abdel‭