What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to understand the climate and habitability of a super-Earth with a 10,000-year orbit around Sol.

April 14, 2026Open Access

The Perihelion Family of a 10,000-Year Period Super-Earth: Orbital Dynamics, Geothermal Freeze Mitigation, and Time to Breathable Oxygen under the Dew-Point Anchor Hypothesis

Key Points

The aim is to understand the climate and habitability of a super-Earth with a 10,000-year orbit around Sol.
Examined the perihelion family of a super-Earth in an eccentric orbit.
Analyzed geothermal heat flow using analogues from Jupiter and Venus.
Developed a sensitivity table to predict breathable oxygen levels over time.
Identified that close perihelia enable extremophile photosynthesis.
Estimated reach of breathable oxygen in 1.5–2.5 billion years after formation.
Demonstrated that geothermal heat flow mitigates deep-freeze during aphelion.

Abstract

This thought experiment examines a super-Earth in a 10,000-year eccentric orbit around Sol. It explores the perihelion family and shows that sufficiently close perihelia allow repeated photic-zone access for extremophile photosynthesis. A credible super-Earth geothermal heat flow (0.5–1.5 W m⁻²), using Jupiter and Venus as geologic analogues, greatly reduces the aphelion deep-freeze. A sensitivity table shows human-breathable oxygen levels can be reached in 1.5–2.5 Gyr after formation. The Dew-Point Anchor Hypothesis governs climate structure during each warm passage.

The Perihelion Family of a 10,000-Year Period Super-Earth: Orbital Dynamics, Geothermal Freeze Mitigation, and Time to Breathable Oxygen under the Dew-Point Anchor Hypothesis

Key Points

Abstract

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