Why is this a Volcanic World?Runaway tidal heating from its moons drives volcanism across a cold crust - the planet is kneaded like Io.
Resonant, close-in moons pump orbital eccentricity, and the resulting tidal flexing dissipates enormous heat in the interior. Only a fraction of the surface is molten at once, so the ground between the vents stays as cold as the orbit allows - Io's own equilibrium temperature is about 110 K.
Classification Criteria:
✓ Close-in moons in a resonant configuration✓ Tidal heat flux beyond the runaway threshold- The orbit is not what melted it: 2.46 AU, 141K equilibrium
Habitability ScoreUninhabitable
0
Contributing Factors
water11
Limited water content - frozen solid, no liquid phase at this temperature
geology40
Extreme volcanic activity may be hazardous
rotation10
Near tidally locked - one hemisphere perpetually scorched, other frozen, narrow habitable twilight zone only
Organic Chemistry100
All CHNOPS elements present - building blocks of life
atmosphere16
Atmosphere present but composition not ideal for life (partially stripped by slow rotation)
temperature0
Very cold - water frozen, challenging for life (large moon stabilizes the axial tilt - steady seasons) (runaway tidal heating keeps the surface molten regardless of orbit)
magnetic Field100
Magnetic field provides radiation protection (a large close moon may help stir the core dynamo (speculative))
Physical Properties
Mass
1.00x Earth (5.97e+24 kg)
Radius
1.00x Earth (6,371 km)
Surface Gravity
1.00x Earth (9.8 m/s²)
Surface Temperature
141 K (-132 °C / -206 °F)
Rotation Period
29.0 hours/day (slower than Earth)
Orbital Environment
Star Type
K-type (Orange)
Distance from Star
2.46 AU (368 million km)
Orbital Period
4.61 years
Atmosphere
Volcanic outgassing - sulfur compounds and vaporized rock
Elemental Composition
O - Oxygen
26.9%
S - Sulfur
16.9%
Si - Silicon
15.4%
Surface Characteristics
Runaway tidal heating drives volcanism across a cold crust - lava lakes and sulfur plains between frozen plains
Outside the synchronous orbit: slowly receding, like Luna (~cm per year).
Tidal braking locked the planet to its moon: one face forever moonward.
Moon 2merged1.0% - 11.4 radii
Merged with an adjacent moon: too close for both to hold a stable orbit.
Moon 3stableWater ice0.0089% - 31.7 radii
Small and distant: a quiet, stable companion.
+5 temperature: large moon stabilizes the axial tilt - steady seasons-85 temperature: runaway tidal heating keeps the surface molten regardless of orbit+5 magneticField: a large close moon may help stir the core dynamo (speculative)