Life on alien planets may not require a large moon after all
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 - 08:50
in Astronomy & Space
Ever since a study conducted back in 1993, it has been proposed that in order for a planet to support more complex life, it would be most advantageous for that planet to have a large moon orbiting it, much like the Earths moon. Our moon helps to stabilize the Earths rotational axis against perturbations caused by the gravitational influence of Jupiter. Without that stabilizing force, there would be huge climate fluctuations caused by the tilt of Earths axis swinging between about 0 and 85 degrees.