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Is it possible

 
 
Aifart
 
Reply Sun 3 Jun, 2012 03:18 pm
In theory could a life sustainable planet have a gravitational pull weak enough to allow a "floating island" in the same way we have a moon but strong enough for the island to be far enough inside the atmosphere to allow life to thrive on said island?
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Type: Question • Score: 0 • Views: 1,510 • Replies: 3
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mesquite
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Jun, 2012 05:40 pm
@Aifart,
I am not a scientist, but I think I can firmly answer no to your question if what you mean by "life" is life as we know it. If the orbiting moon was close enough to be within the life sustaining portion of the atmosphere, the atmospheric friction would make it impossible to maintain enough speed to remain in orbit.
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raprap
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Jun, 2012 07:31 pm
@Aifart,
Larry Niven, a science fiction author with graduate degrees in mathematics & physics, writes stories that have a basis in scientific reality with the environment as a central plot element. He has played with the idea of an inhabitable gas torus as a setting for The Intregral Trees and its sequel, the The Smoke Ring.

Rap
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rosborne979
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Jun, 2012 08:02 pm
@Aifart,
Aifart wrote:
In theory could a life sustainable planet have a gravitational pull weak enough to allow a "floating island" in the same way we have a moon but strong enough for the island to be far enough inside the atmosphere to allow life to thrive on said island?

The particular combination you describe is not possible.

However, you might have two planets of similar size orbiting each other with a la grange point between them with some object (like a floating mountain) stabilized within the point. The planets would also have to share an atmosphere which would be a little bit tricky and might imply a lot of turbulence.

I have no idea how "habitable" such a system might be.
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