Could an Exomoon Survive Permenant Shade from a Gas Giant?

In summary, a gas planet with a moon orbiting it in L1-L2 points is not possible to make to work because the points are unstable.
  • #1
thursdaypostal
2
0
Hello, thank you for reading my post.

For a story I am working on I am wondering about the plausibility of some star and planet configurations. I have done some web research on my own and learned a lot, but for some things I think my vocabulary and knowledge is too limited to search for exactly what I want.

What I would like to have is a large gas planet (or a brown dwarf) as the lone planet circling a star. Orbiting this planet would be an exomoon, perhaps the size of Titan (a larger, spherical moon).

Is it possible for a stable orbit to exist between the planet and moon where the moon is either

  1. Orbiting slowly enough so that it is locked between the star and planet, causing a solar eclipse on part of the planet's surface permenantly, or
  2. Behind the planet in a line with the star, causing the moon to be permenantly hidden from the star (permenantly in a lunar eclipse)?

Is this the same as an object being in the gas planet's L1-L2 points? I have read that these points are not very stable, especially for large objects, for Earth anyway, so I wonder how large a moon could exist in the L1-L2 points of a very large planet/brown dwarf. Ideally, for the story, it would be on the range of 3+ billion years.
 
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  • #2
thursdaypostal said:
Is this the same as an object being in the gas planet's L1-L2 points? I have read that these points are not very stable,
Yes, that's the only case where it could work. But these are not just 'not very stable' - they're unstable. You can't hold a moon there in the same way as you can't make a needle stand on its tip. The satellites that use those points must correct their trajectories with thrusters to stay where they are.

I'm afraid it can't be made to work. The scenario you described has been discussed in this section of the forum many times. Try looking through old threads for more details.
 
  • #3
Bandersnatch said:
I'm afraid it can't be made to work. The scenario you described has been discussed in this section of the forum many times. Try looking through old threads for more details.

I was worried that was the case. I tried mostly searching words like eclipse or lagrange/lagrangian, but I'll look around some more. Thanks for the quick reply.

Edit: already found some. Lots of interesting discussion.
 

Related to Could an Exomoon Survive Permenant Shade from a Gas Giant?

1. What is an exomoon?

An exomoon is a natural satellite that orbits around a planet outside of our solar system. It is similar to the moons that orbit around the planets in our own solar system.

2. What does it mean for an exomoon to be in permanent shade?

A moon is considered to be in permanent shade when it is constantly in the shadow of its planet, meaning it does not receive any direct sunlight. This can occur if the moon's orbit is in perfect alignment with the planet's orbit around its star.

3. How does an exomoon in permanent shade affect its habitability?

An exomoon in permanent shade may have a lower chance of being habitable because it lacks direct sunlight, which is essential for supporting life as we know it. However, there may still be potential for habitability if the moon has other sources of heat and energy, such as volcanic activity or tidal forces.

4. Are there any known exomoons in permanent shade?

Currently, there are no confirmed exomoons in permanent shade. However, there have been several potential candidates discovered by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, and further research is needed to confirm their existence.

5. Why do scientists study exomoons in permanent shade?

Studying exomoons in permanent shade can provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of planetary systems. It can also help us better understand the potential habitability of these moons and the likelihood of finding extraterrestrial life in our universe.

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