-Poul Anderson, "Hiding Place" IN Anderson, Trader To The Stars (New York, 1966), pp. 7-52 AT pp. 40-41.
Anderson specializes in odd planets, including those like Diomedes and Ramnu which are large but still have terrestroid evolution.
I think that, generalizing from a single instance, some astronomers thought that extra-solar planetary systems would follow the Solar model of smaller planets near the primary and larger planets further out. In fact, I think that Robert Heinlein cited such a hypothesis in Time For The Stars but do not have a copy of that novel to hand.
If this is the case, then maybe Anderson was ahead of his time in imagining what has since been confirmed about some exoplanets?
Some of Anderson's aliens have beaks: Tamethans; Ikranankans; some others?
Addendum: For an error in this post, see here.
4 comments:
There do seem to be a lot of planets modestly larger than earth orbiting other stars. IIRC planets less than 2x the diameter of earth should not accumulate too much hydrogen to preclude an oxygen rich atmosphere. Such super earths are however likely to have so much water that continents if they exist at all will probably be small.
Kaor, Jim!
Also, it's my understanding that astronomers do not have, as yet, instruments capable of detecting possibly terrestroid planets approximating the size of Earth.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: you're right, though they expect to fix that soon.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Soon, I hope! I read a lot about such things at the CENTAURI DREAMS website.
Ad astra! Sean
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