Exoplanets with a permanent day side may sometimes flip into night
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Exoplanets with a permanent day side may sometimes flip into night

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A planet, one side covered in water, the other in ice

An illustration of the exoplanet TRAPPIST-1f, which appears to be tidally locked

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Some alien planets thought to be locked in place around their parent star may actually be able to rotate, creating stable climates long enough for potential life to arise – as long as any inhabitants didn’t mind sudden disruption.

Many exoplanets that closely orbit white dwarf stars, such as in the TRAPPIST-1 system, are thought to be tidally locked by their star’s gravity, so the planets have permanent day and night sides that are extremely hot or cold. …

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