Monday, January 2, 2023

Proxima Centauri b used to be even worse

Now that we are fairly-sure that Proxima b has its other planet on the inward side and not the outer, we have a handle on this system's history, at least over the last few million years. Based on PBS - it's not looking good.

A system with a fluid centre and two orbiters exists right here: it's Jupiter. Io (with Amáltheia) is being pulled inbound. The other three Galileians are taking that energy to go outbound. To the extent Phobos is Mars' fluid centre similar is happening to Deimos.

Proxima b, then, used to be closer to the dwarfstar than it is today. Back then, said dwarfstar flared more and - says PBS - was warmer. (I didn't know this last was true.)

It was also closer to what they're calling "Proxima d" so I imagine the local tides were godawful as well.

In short, if there ever be life on b, someone must seed it from outside.

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