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How is it possible that we have day/night cycle so unequal?


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It's scientifically possible. Assume the in-game "Cycle" isn't a rotational cycle (Day/Night). Instead, the asteroid has no rotational spin, so half of it is always facing the star, and the other half is always in darkness (like our moon). The dupes live on the side always facing the star.

Now it'd be light constantly, so we need something to provide some darkness... Like a planet passing between the asteroid and the star causing an eclipse. This is what dupes refer to as a cycle.

the asteroid the dupes are on revolves around  a multiple star system. if all major bodies are in resonance that would set unequal day/night cycles.  really its a matter of story but a bit of math (beyond me) would come up with the necessary orbits..

17 hours ago, Chizzler said:

It's scientifically possible. Assume the in-game "Cycle" isn't a rotational cycle (Day/Night). Instead, the asteroid has no rotational spin, so half of it is always facing the star, and the other half is always in darkness (like our moon). The dupes live on the side always facing the star.

Now it'd be light constantly, so we need something to provide some darkness... Like a planet passing between the asteroid and the star causing an eclipse. This is what dupes refer to as a cycle.

That's actually a very good idea, haven't thought of that.

But this leaves us with another problem: the ratio of day/night is very short but constant, so we must have a situation where a very big planet orbits very close to the sun and our rock orbits just a bit farther, which is not realistic, as we have a light level of 80000 lux at noon, which is actually less than we have on earth. Unless the star is a red dwarf maybe.

16 hours ago, Yunru said:

True, but it doesn't rotate relative to us.

So one lunar month for us is a lunar day on the moon... I think?

You mean they rotate and revolve. Rotation is to itself, so one rotation is one lunar day. I'm not really sure with the rotation since I believe our moon is tidal locked to earth, or it has a vertical rotation rather than horizontal rotation, which mean one side will always be dark. 

And the Lunar Month is the revolution of the moon in accordance to earth. It takes one lunar month for the moon to fully revolves around the earth and back to its original position, just like one earth day is one rotation and we have ca. 365 rotation during the time it takes earth to fully revolve around the Sun. 

On 3/25/2019 at 8:06 PM, Chizzler said:

It's scientifically possible. Assume the in-game "Cycle" isn't a rotational cycle (Day/Night). Instead, the asteroid has no rotational spin, so half of it is always facing the star, and the other half is always in darkness (like our moon). The dupes live on the side always facing the star.

Now it'd be light constantly, so we need something to provide some darkness... Like a planet passing between the asteroid and the star causing an eclipse. This is what dupes refer to as a cycle.

Cant you still have rotation and have a tidal lock situation as well, as in rotate according to its horizontal axis, as in the equator. but i think most asteroid dont rotate? i dont know, I assume asteroid doesnt have oblong or round shape and rather out of form? 

Also, I can sorta understand that in earlier builds this day/night ratio was necessary because dupes only sleep at night and long night can make the waiting boring. But now when we have schedule and coffee machine it is no longer the case.

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