The planet is tidally locked to the star, meaning that one side is always facing the star and basking in perpetual daylight, while the side facing away from the star is in perpetual darkness. One effect of this is to stabilize the planet’s surface climates, according to Vogt. The most habitable zone on the planet’s surface would be the line between shadow and light (known as the “terminator”), with surface temperatures decreasing toward the dark side and increasing toward the light side.
“Any emerging life forms would have a wide range of stable climates to choose from and to evolve around, depending on their longitude,” Vogt said.
The researchers estimate that the average surface temperature of the planet is between -24 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-31 to -12 degrees Celsius). Actual temperatures would range from blazing hot on the side facing the star to freezing cold on the dark side.”
Hmmm...
Then again it could be deader than a doornail. Why are they wasting their time...when so many Muslims feel bad about themselves?
Not longitude. The lines tracing presumably similar conditions, based on symmetry, would be like lines of latitude with respect to "poles" defined by the line from the star through the center of the planet. The terminator would be the "equator".
Winds and weather are apt to be atrocious, but there have been SF novels speculating about life under such circumstances.
Winds and weather are apt to be atrocious, but there have been SF novels speculating about life under such circumstances.
First this:
Secondly, your observation of it being tidally locked - this is a condition of having “the wrong type of star” for habitability. The star is too cold, and therefor the planet has to be too close, and a tidally locked planet is NOT habitable.
Nope, wishful thinking. This one here that we’re standing on is the only “Privileged Planet”, designed and placed especially so us humans can flourish AND EXPLORE creation. Habitability and observability conditions just happen to “coincidentally” be the same.