(Image credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Wikimedia Commons) The icy planet Hoth hosts a temporary Rebel base where the heroes have to defeat Imperial walkers in order to escape. Theoretical models suggest that the planet may have lava or boiling oceans on its surface. The probable temperature on its вЂњday-faceвЂќ is above 2000 degrees, but minus 200 degrees on its night face. The exoplanet Corot-7b is so close to its Sun-like host star that it must experience extreme conditions. But as Sonia said, the temperatures are so hot that youвЂ™d burn to a crisp before you got to have your Jedi duel. SCHAEFER: We have also found some exoplanets that orbit their stars so closely that they have permanent dayside magma oceans.

However, the gases in the atmosphere of such a volcanic world would be noxious and surface temperatures would likely be too hot for anything to survive, much less get in a fight.

The resulting stress releases a lot of heat. A comparable world would be JupiterвЂ™s moon Io, which gets flexed on the inside by the gravitational pull of Jupiter and other Jovian moons. TIKOO-SCHANTZ: Such a volcanic planet can exist from tidal heating. What kinds of forces would cause a planet to form like that? What would we need to survive? On the volcanic planet Mustafar, Anakin duels with Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, ends up nearly submerged in lava and needs to be turned into a cyborg to survive. Not long ago, in our very own galaxy, Stanford Earth discussed the science of Star Wars with these experts on planetary formation, processes and habitability. Sonia Tikoo-Schantz, an assistant professor of geophysics, uses paleomagnetism and fundamental rock magnetism as tools to investigate problems in the planetary sciences. Assistant professor of geological sciences Mathieu LapГґtre focuses on the physics behind sedimentary and geomorphic processes that shape planetary surfaces. Laura Schaefer, an assistant professor of geological sciences, studies planetary atmospheres and their formation. Assistant professor of geophysics Dustin Schroeder works on the use of ice-penetrating radar in observing and understanding the interaction of ice and water in the solar system. Beyond the plot, there are plenty of questions we can ask about the science: How did those planets form? Could they exist in our universe? Could Star Wars really happen?ДЄt the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth), researchers use geological and geophysical techniques to both investigate Earth and explore other planetary bodies. 20 release of the final installment of the Skywalker saga, The Rise of Skywalker, questions abound about the fate of the inhabitants of that faraway galaxy. From Wookiees and Ewoks to lightsabers and droids, the Star Wars movies have captured the imaginations of generations of fans. Space discoveries are in the news on a nearly weekly basis вЂ“ but they may not leave an impression as impactful as the legend of Star Wars.

Star wars planetary forces