Questions tagged [tidal-locking]
Questions regarding a phenomenon when an object has an orbital period that is equal to its rotational period due to gravitational tidal forces.
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Effects of a binary star system on a tidally locked planet
This is basically a world-building question, but I'm looking for a scientifically based answer, so I'm posting here.
Imagine a fairly earth-like planet- Lets call it Planet X. Planet X has an earth-...
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Are there tidally locked bodies where the "far side" is denser?
It makes sense that tidal forces lead to tidal locking. Celestial bodies have varying densities and shapes, so some orientations have a lower gravitational potential, and eventually the tendency will ...
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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 ...
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Is an extreme precession on a tidally locked planet possible?
Let's assume an exoplanet orbits a red dwarf star closely enough that is tidally locked to it. Is it possible for the planet to have a significant axial precession? If not naturally, is it possible to ...
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Could a tidally locked large moon prevent a close-orbiting planet from getting tidally locked to its star?
A planet can get tidally locked to its moon, like Pluto and Charon, or like Earth someday and Luna. A planet can get tidally locked to its sun - close orbiting exoplanets are assumed to be tidally ...
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Why circularization of an orbit has longer time scale than tidal locking?
I'm trying to understand the basic physics of orbital evolution. I know that in a two-body system (a planet orbiting a sun for example), eccentric orbits become circular, and the spin of the planet ...
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How can Io be tidally heated while it is in tidal lock?
According to its Wikipedia page:
Rotation period: synchronous
Eccentricity: 0.0041
But also
...extreme geologic activity is the result of tidal heating...
How is it possible? It should not be ...
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Will Mercury ever become locked to the Sun?
The Mercury year is between 1 and 2 days. Has it ever been greater, and will it eventually become "tidally locked" with the Sun?
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Is it possible to have a positive rational number of months (more than 1) in a year?
It is possible for a planet to have orbital resonance with a sun (e.g. Mercury has a 3:2 spin resonance with the sun). It is also possible for a moon to have orbital resonance with a planet (e.g. our ...
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Would tidally locked Earth-like exoplanets necessarily have hot pole/cold pole atmospheric circulation?
A tidally locked planet orbiting a red dwarf star in its habitable zone would have a rotational period equal to its orbital period, on the order of days or weeks.
Given a thick enough atmosphere ...
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Jupiter's effect on a hypothetical "warm" Europa's water
Imagine for a moment that Europa is not frozen solid (at least on the surface).
Would the fact that it is tidally locked to Jupiter mean that the water would be stagnate? So there would be no tides ...
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Moon's rotation and revolution
Since the moon's period of rotation around its own axis, and that of its revolution around earth is (almost) same, we always see only one side of moon. This is what was, & is taught in schools. ...
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How close to a host star can a tidally locked planet be and its dark side still maintain a moderate temperature?
So, imagine an atmosphere-less planet, tidally locked to a sun-like star. How close to the star can the planet be before its dark side becomes too hot?
I imagine that at some point the rocks on its ...
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Tidally locked Venus, is it possible and consequences?
Suppose, Venus becomes tidally locked. Will its dark side cool enough so that the CO2 from the atmosphere to precipitate in liquid form to make an ocean?
Also, I wonder, how close Venus is to becoming ...
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