Hypothetically, could a swamp planet with long nights exist? Additionally, would it be possible for this same planet to have two moons and a sun?
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4$\begingroup$ Welcome Cid. We deal with one question per post, so pick one - any further questions can be asked in their own threads. We'd also need quite a few more details. If you asked the question about warmth first, we'd need to know what you mean by that - it's certainly uncomfortably warm here on some nights (southern UK), so tell us what you're trying to achieve that's different from hot and sticky nights that we already experience. What do you mean by "long nights"? Please take our tour and refer to the help center, enjoy the site, then you can edit your question. $\endgroup$– Escaped dental patient.Commented Dec 26, 2022 at 0:14
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1$\begingroup$ What do you mean by "swamp planet"? Is it a planet covered only in swamps? You should tell more about what you already have built/chosen : Planet target size, specificities, etc.. Also, please don't throw over questions over your main one if they're quite different; You can always ask them later once you've solved what's most concerning to you ^^. $\endgroup$– Tortliena - inactiveCommented Dec 26, 2022 at 0:15
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1$\begingroup$ What exactly do you mean by long nights? On earth different parts of the planet have different day/night lengths due to the planets wobble, but on average its 50/50. Are you looking for a scenario where the whole planet averages 30/70? $\endgroup$– AtogCommented Dec 26, 2022 at 0:20
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2$\begingroup$ @JBH I think this is a fine question. Yes, it’s written as two, but it comes down to “Can a planet with a swampy/tropical climate exist with two moons, one sun, and a long night?” These are not unrelated concepts. I’m voting to leave it open. $\endgroup$– SRMCommented Dec 26, 2022 at 2:27
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1$\begingroup$ @SRM For the record, I didn't vote to close. Also for the record, unless you can read the OP's mind, you have neither the ability nor the authority to rewrite the question in a way that violates the Help Center's mandate that edits cannot change the OP's meaning - and only the OP can clarify what his/her meaning is. The goal isn't finding ways to justify answering any question. The goal is to help people ask better questions. $\endgroup$– JBHCommented Dec 26, 2022 at 19:00
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2 Answers
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It is always night on the dark side.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_locking
Your planet is tidally locked to its star, like the Moon is tidally locked to the Earth. The dark side of the planet never sees the sun. It is always night.
That is where the two moons come in handy. They are large, close and bright, these moons. A full moon on your swamp planet is much brighter than on Earth. A double full moon lights things up pretty well. Bonus: you would have 2 shadows. Maybe a white moon and a red Mars-like moon? Red light would be pretty cool. Or you could give your planet a ring (perhaps on bended knee), which would always reflect sunlight even better than a moon.
Speculations on photosynthesis in a moonlit planet here: Nocturnal Photosynthesis
Re warmth: it is plenty warm on the sunny side. It is hot. Warm wet winds blow from the sunny side to the swampy night side. It is pretty nice there even though it rains a lot.
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It would probably be heated by geothermal activity, so it would make a lot of sense if it where a moon orbiting a gas giant, as the planet could block out the star for most of the "day", and tidal forces from a highly elliptical orbit could heat its core, and thus heat the surface through geothermal vents, hot springs, volcanos and other activity.
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3$\begingroup$ Hi Sam 🐻. I believe this contradicts with the idea of this planet having "two moons and a sun". I don't think the querent would have omitted a gas giant orbiting around ^^. In general, it's best to wait until enough information is given before answering, when so little is given. Ah and yes, take a tour and check the help-center, when you have the time :). $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 26, 2022 at 0:21
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$\begingroup$ There's no contradiction in this answer. It just means the answer to the first question is "yes" and the answer to the second question is "not in this case". $\endgroup$– JamieBCommented Dec 26, 2022 at 18:17