Privileged planet: elliptical orbit is vital (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, August 10, 2024, 15:24 (37 days ago) @ David Turell

A new simulation study:

https://www.universetoday.com/167891/elliptical-orbits-could-be-essential-to-the-habita...

"However, it was not until Kepler’s observations that the planets followed elliptical orbits around the Sun (rather than circular orbits) that astronomical models matched observations of the heavens completely.

"As it turns out, this very quirk of orbital mechanics may be essential to the emergence of life on planets like Earth. That was the hypothesis put forth in a recent study by a team of astronomers led by the University of Leeds. According to their work, orbital eccentricity (how much a planet’s orbit deviates from a circle) can influence a planet’s climate response, which could have a profound effect on its potential habitability. These findings could be significant for exoplanet researchers as they continue to search for Earth-like planets that could support life. (my bold)

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'It was not until Johannes Kepler introduced the concept of elliptical orbits that scientists could match their astronomical models to the observed motions of the planets. Since then, scientists have learned a great deal about orbital parameters – such as semi-major axis (a), eccentricity (e), axial tilt (?), inclination (i), and periapsis – and how they can influence a planet’s climate over time. These parameters have also become very important for exoplanet studies, as they are vital to determining if a planet could be “potentially habitable.”

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"After running 30 simulation years for each case, they examined how both groups of exoplanets behaved regarding their climate response. This included latitudinal and seasonal variations in their hydrological cycle (sea ice, land snow, and clouds) and land habitability metrics like surface temperature and precipitation. As they indicated in their paper, exoplanets within the highly eccentric orbit group had 25% more habitable land area for more than 80% of their orbit, with an average increase of 7% for their entire orbital cycle.

Comment: another unique characteristic of the Earth which led to seasons and stirred the evolution of life.