Interstellar Miller Planet Water

For those who have seen Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar film, you probably already know that Miller’s planet is a water-world, and the first planet in the system orbiting Gargantua. It takes its name from Dr. Miller, who landed on the planet and activated the “thumbs up” beacon, and it’s also the first location the crew of the Endurance visit. The time dilation factor is exactly 1 hour on Milller per 7 years of Earth time due to the gravitational forces of Gargantua moving the planet through empty space at roughly 99.99999998% the speed of light. Continue reading to watch the scene in full and for more information.

According to “The Science of Interstellar” by Kip Thorne, Miller’s planet is shaped somewhat like a football, with one end constantly pointing at Gargantua. The waves are tidal waves, so it’s not the waves coming toward you, but rather the planet rotating beneath and the fixed waves slamming into you. Fortunately, tidally locked planets can rock back and forth, and Thorne used this as a scientifically accurate loophole to explain tidal waves on a tidally locked planet. Also, because the water on Miller is mostly concentrated in the waves, you could have knee-high oceans, like the one shown in the film.

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