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Super-Earths are bigger, more common and more habitable than Earth itself
- db48x 4y agoToo bad about the even more expensive rocket launches. That stupid logarithm just won’t go away.
- umeshunni 4y agoIt's possible the only way to do rockets in these worlds is through some kind of nuclear propulsion.
- db48x 4y agoNuclear rockets are amazing in space, but a really bad idea in an atmosphere.
- bilsbie 4y agoThey’d just need to go nuclear or keep their power source on the ground eg lasers or other beamed power, rail guns, sling systems, etc. We choose rockets because they’re the lowest investment.
- chinabot 4y agoHigher Gravity would be pretty uncomfortable.
- andrewstuart 4y agoStrange no mention of gravity in that article. I wonder the impact of higher gravity on trees/animals?
- steve_adams_86 4y agoWell, I suppose if they live in water it won’t necessarily matter as much. I can imagine vast oceans like ours filled with mostly-liquid creatures floating and flitting around.
- rowinofwin 4y agoIn a lot of cases as your planet size goes up the gravity doesn't go up as fast at the surface as you would expect. First off, sometimes the density is different, so you would have a similar sized but lighter planet. Other times it would just be the distance from the mass meaning that the mass on the opposite side of the planet has less effect than you would expect at the surface. If you add extra mass you also increase the radioactive decay potential which is part of our core being warm. More radioactive material, a longer time with a stronger magnetic field, less damage from solar radiation. And yes, the surface fluid being denser would provide more boyancy, so an aquatic species would have less of an issue from multiple times Earth gravity. Pretty cool stuff.
- JediLuke 4y ago
- djxowo826 4y ago
- rasz 4y agoand they are all inhabited by Bronteroc