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Comment by dylan604 | Hacker News Reader

the timelapse of the sun just traveling in a circle is probably one of the most bizarre things i've seen of a real natural phenomenon. it's one of those things of just so outside my normal experience that i had never actually thought about it, but seeing it like this definitely shows how weird things are at the poles.

imagine how livable (or not) a planet would be if the planet's axis were even more extreme

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> imagine how livable (or not) a planet would be if the planet's axis were even more extreme

For a SF take on the effects of living on a planet with very extreme days (and years) take a look at the Helliconia series by Brian Aldiss [0]. Helliconia is a planet in a double-star system whose 'year' lasts for about 2500 Earth-years, and the seasons last for centuries. When the primary star dips below a mountain range, you might not see it again for 100s of years. Civilisation rises and falls over these timescales, with winter inevitably causing a reset as farming and other activities crash.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helliconia

Wasn’t there an Asimov story with a similar twist? The scientists discovered that there was a rare point where all three stars would set and drive everyone mad.

Yes, it was “Nightfall”.

Like Uranus? It’s completely on its side.

exactly. if the planets in the habitable zone had that kind of orientation, where would the livable zones be located? or a planet that was tidally locked to the sun like the moon is to the earth? a circadian rhythm would seem to be non-existent. equatorial life seems like it would be the optimal locations

https://twitter.com/ajtweet/status/1645561875147673600?s=61&...

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