<p>(writing a story)</p>
<p>Is there anything that might cause all or part of a planet to stop getting sunlight, or to have a permanent/ridiculously long-lasting perpetual twilight?</p>
<p>nuclear winter? volcanic winter? a change in rotation or axis tilt, or some kind of permanent eclipse (that one seems especially unlikely)?  maybe a more 'squashed' orbital path, or a super-duper slow planetary rotation?</p>
<p>or what about a day/night cycle on the order of years?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-01T20:13:12.107Z
If you are [worldbuilding.se]  you might look at [would-it-be-possible-for-a-planet-to-go-without-sunlight-for-three-months](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/159046) or [what-would-a-large-and-habitable-constant-twilight-zone-on-a-rotating-planet-looklike](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/25408/)  or all of the [eternal night](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/search?q=eternal+night) questions
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-01T20:16:59.520Z
In the question. Are you looking for a realistic way for a planet to have a slow rotation, (etc) or do you need the planet to *change* its rotation.  Do you want everything to be normal, and then one day, part of the planet stops getting sunlight?
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-05T00:45:53.737Z
An orbiting dust cloud between your planet and its star might do it.  Something like Epsilon Aurigae perhaps?
Dave Gremlin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-18T02:31:01.320Z
The length of a day on Venus is longer than a Venutian year.
Fred
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-21T02:29:18.620Z
"part of a planet to stop getting sunlight" tidal locking or very slow rotation (like mentioned above), or a ***giant*** crater near one of the poles as long as the tilt of the rotational axis with respect to the  orbital axis isn't large.
uhoh
<the-sun><rotation><earth-like-planet>
is there anything that might cause a planet to stop getting sunlight permanently, or to only have light infrequently? (on the whole planet or part)?
Zeantra
# is there anything that might cause a planet to stop getting sunlight permanently, or to only have light infrequently? (on the whole planet or part)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-11-01)

(writing a story)

Is there anything that might cause all or part of a planet to stop getting sunlight, or to have a permanent/ridiculously long-lasting perpetual twilight?

nuclear winter? volcanic winter? a change in rotation or axis tilt, or some kind of permanent eclipse (that one seems especially unlikely)? maybe a more 'squashed' orbital path, or a super-duper slow planetary rotation?

or what about a day/night cycle on the order of years?

**Tags:** the-sun, rotation, earth-like-planet

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If you are [worldbuilding.se]  you might look at [would-it-be-possible-for-a-planet-to-go-without-sunlight-for-three-months](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/159046) or [what-would-a-large-and-habitable-constant-twilight-zone-on-a-rotating-planet-looklike](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/25408/)  or all of the [eternal night](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/search?q=eternal+night) questions  
> **username_1**: In the question. Are you looking for a realistic way for a planet to have a slow rotation, (etc) or do you need the planet to *change* its rotation.  Do you want everything to be normal, and then one day, part of the planet stops getting sunlight?  
> **username_2**: An orbiting dust cloud between your planet and its star might do it.  Something like Epsilon Aurigae perhaps?  
> **username_3**: The length of a day on Venus is longer than a Venutian year.  
> **username_4**: "part of a planet to stop getting sunlight" tidal locking or very slow rotation (like mentioned above), or a ***giant*** crater near one of the poles as long as the tilt of the rotational axis with respect to the  orbital axis isn't large.  

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## 0 answers

