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16 votes
3 answers
3k views

Under which conditions could a planet's massive moon's orbit get closer to the planet?

The recent question How do we know the Moon was much closer than it is now? has piqued my interest. The answers are numerous and clear. But I started to wonder. The question includes the following ...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 30.7k
5 votes
1 answer
151 views

If the Earth became tidally locked with the moon, would that last forever?

If the Earth and the moon became tidally locked, would this last theoretically forever (assuming no external gravitational force modifies their orbits, for example, ignoring the effects caused by the ...
vengaq's user avatar
  • 1,017
5 votes
1 answer
569 views

Can tidally locked planets have liquid oceans on their night side, and would such a planet be habitable?

Let's say we have a tidally locked planet orbiting a star. And let's say that the conditions on its surface are just right for water to exist on its surface. Conventional wisdom says that the water on ...
Grendel-the-Hutt's user avatar