- #1
ARBW
Hi All,
I've got an idea brewing in my head that involves a inhabited moon. My original idea was a place that had day, night, and Really Dark Night(tm). It's a fantasy setting, so there won't be people tottering around in space, but I'd really like it all to make at least some modicum of sense. If the moon needs to be made out of handwavium or something, I'm fine with that.
Among my many flaws, this project has reinforced that I am just not smart enough to figure out much on this topic myself, which means I was super glad to stumble across this site. Without further ado, here's a giant pile of questions. I'll really appreciate any insight you can offer.
Thanks for any help you can offer. I'll be happy to clarify anything I need to, and I'm sure I'll be back with more questions later!
I've got an idea brewing in my head that involves a inhabited moon. My original idea was a place that had day, night, and Really Dark Night(tm). It's a fantasy setting, so there won't be people tottering around in space, but I'd really like it all to make at least some modicum of sense. If the moon needs to be made out of handwavium or something, I'm fine with that.
Among my many flaws, this project has reinforced that I am just not smart enough to figure out much on this topic myself, which means I was super glad to stumble across this site. Without further ado, here's a giant pile of questions. I'll really appreciate any insight you can offer.
- Is it possible to have a moon with an Earth-like climate?
- If so, what would be required in terms of size, atmosphere, stuff I can't think of, etc.?
- What would gravity be like on this moon? Is it feasible to have Earth-like gravity?
- If the night side of the moon faces the day side of the planet, would it receive significant illumination? Does this depend on the size of the planet?
- At night, what would the planet look like in the sky? Could it fill the sky, or does that imply things about distance/size that are infeasible?
- What sort of orbital periods should I be thinking about for the planet and the moon?
- If the planet the moon orbits eclipses the sun, would that have significant climatological effects?
- Are there other factors that might affect weather or seasons beyond those on Earth?
- What effects should I be aware of from the gravity of the sun and planet both acting on the moon?
- Are there any other things I should know about moons here?
Thanks for any help you can offer. I'll be happy to clarify anything I need to, and I'm sure I'll be back with more questions later!
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