B Tidally Locked Planets: How Close to the Star?

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Thread starter AstroCody
Start date Mar 31, 2016
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Exoplanet Planet Planets Star tidally locked

AI Thread Summary

Tidal locking of a planet to its parent star is influenced by several factors beyond mere proximity, including the sizes of the celestial bodies and their initial rotational speeds. The process of becoming tidally locked takes time, making it complex to determine a specific distance for tidal locking. There is no universal answer applicable to all scenarios due to these varying factors. Understanding the dynamics of tidal locking requires considering both gravitational interactions and the physical characteristics of the involved bodies. Overall, the relationship between a planet's distance from its star and tidal locking is not straightforward.

Mar 31, 2016

AstroCody

How close must a planet be to its parent star in order for it to be tidally locked?

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Mar 31, 2016

Borg

Science Advisor

Gold Member

Tidal locking isn't just determined by position. It takes time for bodies to become locked and it is highly dependant upon the size of the bodies and initial rotations. So I don't think that there is a good general answer to this.

Mar 31, 2016

AstroCody

Thanks for the answer and the link, it was very helpful.

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