Time, Tides and Habitability

The more we learn about these issues, the greater the number of complications for planetary habitability multiplies.

If it wasn't for Gerard O'Neill's orbital habitat concepts, I don't think I would hold out much hope for interstellar colonization. One might survey 10,000 worlds and not find a single one suitable for our kind of life.

Regards,

Mike Combs

From: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Lucio
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2008 1:16 PM
To: orions_arm@yahoogroups.com; spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [spacesettlers] Time, Tides and Habitability

Meh... it seems that the "super-earths" around Gliese 581 *can't* be
habitable due to tidal heating. Planet C is likely to be a volcanic
world worse than Io, while Planet D propably is completely molten. (!)

.