Hey.
I’ve asked this question before (long, long ago) and I’ve forgotten the answera. So, anyway, those of you that have a knowledge of astronomy/physics, can you answer this?
I’m writing a fantasy/fiction story that takes place on another world. The problem is that I’m trying to get all the little details right–after all, god is in the details–and I have almost no knowledge of physics or astronomy. :smack:
Anyway, here’s the info I’ve made up so far:
Athereal is the fifth planet in the solar system of seventeen and is the twelfth largest. It is the only planet in the solar system that contains both active plate tectonics and liquid water. It rotates clockwise (thus the sun rises in the west and sets in the east) and its orbital period is 237.98 days. It has no axial tilt. Average person lives to be 107; old age is 140. Children are considered adults around the age of twenty-six. It has two moons, one like Earth’s, and another that’s close to the southern hemisphere of the planet and cannot be seen from the northern. (I’ve read that Mars is like this, yet I can’t remember the scientific title for it.)
So here’s the list of questions:
To the best of my understanding, with no axial tilt, there would be no seasons; temperature and climate would be dependant upon lattitude (i.e., always cold near the poles, a desert wasteland at the equator, leading to a large pupolation difference between the temperate zones and the extremes). Is this correct?
How would evolution occur? Those in the north would obviously have evolved to be hardier to the cold–shorter bodies, more fat, perhaps with blond hair, while those near the equator would be darker, skinnier, perhaps with the ability to hold water for long periods of time. Does that sound right?
How would tides be affected with two moons? Assuming one orbits like our moon (on a monthly cycle), and the southern moon on a weekly cycle, would the tides be terribly affected in the northern hemisphere? What about the south?
How would weather occur? With no tilt, and the sun striking the planet at a fairly even rate, could storms (with few expections) be “scheduled?” They would obviously come in from the east in the temperate zones, much like they come in from the west in ours (I believe, due to prevailing winds). But I’m not sure if they could be a regular phenomena.
Well, that’s all I have for now. If I come up with any more questions though the course of the story, I’ll bring them up. And thanks in advance for racking you brains on this one. I promise a dedication to the geniuses at the SMDB.