Question About the software

[geraldparson]

Does this soft show the effects of a plant such as earth in variable orbits and axis's around the sun? I am attempting to find out what the circumstances would have to be for a fictional planet to have a "south pole" that is completely barren desert and a "north pole" that is a frozen waste land. The continents in the middle of course would have varying climate conditions based on their positions. If this program can do this, that would be awesome, if anyone one versed enough in astrology could help me that would be just as awesome.

[smjjames]

You're looking for a tidally locked world with that one.

For the main question, no, US doesn't simulate planetary climate to that much detail. Right now, it doesn't show the effects of axial tilt, but there is a (very) basic atmosphere model currently on US (there is a much more advanced one coming in US 3) which shows you the average temperature for a planet a certain distance away from its parent star.

[geraldparson]

thanks for the reply. the program looks very awesome, its a shame it doesn't handle this, yet!

If you could please, expand on your explanation, a tidally locked world. what exactly does that mean? and in theory would it effect the ability for life to sustain on such a planet? Keep in mind this is a world and work of fiction, however I do like things being as plausible as possible.

[geraldparson]

sorry for the double post, but i have attached a drawing of the world in question to better illustrate what it is I am asking about. As you can see I have set the "equator" in a theorized location based on the climates, its placement may not be correct, but I needed to put something there as a reference.

[smjjames]

When an object is tidally locked, that means its rotation period is the same as its orbit and always has the same face towards its parent body. Our Moon is a good example of this.

What you described with one side (the lit side, not neccesarily its south pole) being a scorching desert and the other side (the permanent night side) a frozen wasteland with the regions in the middle being habitable is a pretty good description of what can happen to a tidally locked planet. Although in thinking about it, what you're describing could be more like a situation with a 90 degree or near 90 degree axial tilt.

However, when you add an atmosphere and depending on the properties of the planet itself (how much water it has, etc), things become more complex. A high axial tilt would make it difficult for life, but not impossible, same with a tidally locked world. There are others who can probably expand on this better than i can.

[geraldparson]

well thank you for what you have said thus far, its helped me out a great deal.