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Skolian Type Worlds

Worlds with a large axial tilt

Silenus northwinter
Image from Steve Bowers
Silenus, a terraformed Skolian world
Worlds with large axial tilts (greater than 45 degrees) are classed as Skolian type worlds, from the ancient Greek word Skolios, 'crooked'. This classification is supplementary to other NOLWOCs classification terms, so a skolian world may be an Earthlike (gaian) world, a gas giant (jovian) a planetoid and so on.

These worlds have very marked seasonal variations in temperature, and where an atmosphere is present, the weather patterns will vary greatly between seasons. In summer the substellar pole will be much hotter than the other pole, and the atmosphere will transport heat between the hot hemisphere and the cold one, causing strong winds.
Irene
Image from Steve Bowers
Irene, a cryojovian with a considerable axial tilt in the Oia system
 
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Development Notes
Text by Steve Bowers
Initially published on 29 September 2009.

 
 
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