Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Dangerous Sunrise on Gliese 876d

NASA ^ | April 29, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: On planet Gliese 876d, sunrises might be dangerous. Although nobody really knows what conditions are like on this close-in planet orbiting variable red dwarf star Gliese 876, the above artistic illustration gives one impression. With an orbit well inside Mercury and a mass several times that of Earth, Gliese 876d might rotate so slowly that dramatic differences exist between night and day. Gliese 876d is imagined above showing significant volcanism, possibly caused by gravitational tides flexing and internally heating the planet, and possibly more volatile during the day. The rising red dwarf star shows expected stellar magnetic activity which includes dramatic and violent prominences. In the sky above, a hypothetical moon has its thin atmosphere blown away by the red dwarf's stellar wind. Gliese 876d excites the imagination partly because it is one of the few extrasolar planets known to be in or near to the habitable zone of its parent star.

[SunkenCiv]

[Illustration Credit & Copyright: Inga Nielsen (Hamburg Obs., Gate to Nowhere)]

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

Artist's conception.

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[shibumi]

Shades of Crematoria!

[samtheman]

This doesn’t really look like its in the habitable zone.

[blueunicorn6]

Reminds me of my last barbecue.

[blueunicorn6]

They say chickens can’t fly, but if you get enough propane behind them.......

[PGalt]

Whoa! Thanks for posting, ‘Civ.

Fascinating illustration by Inga and links that lead to constellation Aquarius, red dwarf star, light year, parsec, etc., etc.

Astronomy/Physics/Education BUMP!

[greenhornet68]

Algore would have a field day here!

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

East LA after a George Zimmerman acquittal.

[moose07]

Reminded me of this

"Coalbrookdale by Night", by Philip James de Loutherbourg, 1801

[cripplecreek]

Interestin.

I wonder, would a tidally locked planet have moon? Being close enough to be tidally locked seems like it would screw with the orbit of a moon .

[cripplecreek]

When I do habitable, I go with something a little less in flames.

[ml/nj]

Government spending money imagining things again.

ML/NJ

[PGalt]

LOL & a good possibility!

[Erasmus]

Thanks for the attribution on that painting. For a moment I thought it was a Kinkade.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ROFL!

[blueunicorn6]

“It’s another Tequila Sunrise.....”

The Eagles

[samtheman]

Beautiful. What did you use?

[cripplecreek]

Photoshop CS3. Making planets is kind of a morning ritual with me.