John D. Boswell Instagram – Eyeball Earths 👁 Imagine an alien planet with a circular ocean on one side, like a glistening watery iris staring into space. Scientists theorize there could be billions of these “Eyeball Earths” out there.
In the right conditions, some planets become “tidally locked” to their star, causing one half of the planet to permanently face the sun.
Some of these planets will orbit in a Goldilocks zone, causing a warm water ocean to form on the sun-facing side, resulting in a planet that resembles a human eye.
Other tidally locked planets closer to their star may form oceans on the night-facing side, forming oceans that stare into the darkness of space.
40 light years away, the planet Trappist 1-F is a candidate for such a planet. With the recent launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, we are one step closer to discovering mythical worlds like these, bringing them from the realms of imagination into reality.
Sights of Space drops later this year… ⏱ hold on to your butts. | Posted on 18/Aug/2022 01:21:33
