Eyeball shaped planets could host alien life
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Until now astronomers have focused their efforts to find extraterrestrial life on Earth-like planets. However, one researcher claims that aliens might inhabit other planets with a different shape than our planet, as they may have specific conditions different than ours.
Planets with an eyeball shape form are some of those plants which have one of it faces always directed to its host star faces. The French researcher Sean Raymond explains in scientific Nautilus that if one of those planets are to be found on our solar system one of it surface will always be pointed to the sun, resulting in a daylight in one part of the planet and off course a permanent night in the other side.
Planets of this type can be warm in one surface or icy in the other. A hot 'eyeball' is close to its star and record high temperatures on its surface. While in its dayside its waters boil under the starlight, the night side the water remains frozen. However, the area between these two faces could house ideal life conditions, the investigator suggested.
The 'eyeball' ice surface orbit is larger than a warm one. While they may have huge amounts of water, heat is not enough for water to be liquid. However, in an area called 'sub-stellar point' enough sunlight is recorded to form a pool of liquid. Therefore, some scientists, including the author of the article, believe that life could exist on the seabed or on the edge of liquid ponds.
Oceans of water trapped under ice appear to be pretty common in the solar system and one of them, on a small moon of Saturn's, appears to be quite hot.