Tidal heating

Tidal heating (also known as tidal dissipation or tidal damping) occurs through the tidal friction processes: orbital and rotational energy is dissipated as heat in either (or both) the surface ocean or interior of a planet or satellite. When an object is in an elliptical orbit, the tidal forces act...

1 story • Updated Oct 16, 2025
Science

Tidal forces heat white dwarfs to unexpected temperatures in tight binary orbits

6 sources Oct 14, 2025