New answers tagged

23 votes
Accepted

Could it be possible to detect planets from stars that went supernova through the resulting nebula shape?

The escape speed of a big planet like Jupiter is about 60 km/s. The speed of the ejecta from a supernova explosion is something like $10^4$ km/s. i.e. Jupiter would have little discernable ...
  • 132k
1 vote

Why there are no terrestrial planets with a subsurface ocean?

We may regard Earth's ocean as a subsurface ocean that has melted through. Temperatures on Earth's surface are too warm to maintain the global ice covering which, on the outer-planet moons, renders ...
1 vote

What phases of a moon orbiting Proxima Centauri b could be seen?

The moon of Proxima Centauri b would appear to go through a full cycle of phases as seen from the parts of the surface of Proxima Centauri b where it was visible. And the moon of Proxima Centauri b ...
0 votes

Goldilocks Zone Temperature Range for Habitation

Surface temperatures suitable for liquid surface water for at least part of the year are generally considered necessary for a planet to be considered habitable for liquid water using lifeforms. At ...
4 votes

Seeing exoplanets with glare

What you propose is not impossible, but I think impractical. The levels of contrast required might be 1 part in a billion ($10^9$) or more. In your method, how would you account for non-axisymmetric ...
  • 132k

Top 50 recent answers are included