Tidally Locked Super-Earth

Of course I'd add another one of these types of artwork because
1: I love charcoal, and
2: Astrophysics for the win

If the title confuses you, a super-Earth is a class of terrestrial planets greater in mass than that of Earth's (5.97219E²⁴ kilograms), yet not small enough to hold a jovian atmosphere. Scientists currently predict that super-Earths hold the best chance for finding extraterrestrial life, mostly because of their larger magnetic fields. Any body smaller than Earth is far less likely to support life because the magnetic field would be almost too weak to protect organic molecules from decaying under X- and gamma-radiation from the planet's star. Earth might be the lower limit of mass; our magnetic field barely deflects UVC rays and mostly does not deflect UVB not UVA rays at all.

However, there is one property that can also dramatically affect the outcome of "life or no life". Tidal locking is a type of friction which, through gravity, causes planetary bodies to try to get their synodic (absolute) day to equal their year; in other words, a day would last an infinite amount of time. Over millions of years, a planet close enough to its star tends to completely undergo this process. A prime example of this is Mercury in our own solar system. When Mercury is at the perihelion* of its orbit, the Sun hangs motionless in the sky; if it weren't for Mercury's elliptical orbit, one side would face the Sun permanently.

Aaaand I'm too tired for the rest of the explanation. Sorry.

Art by DrTau
Do not steal

(*edit: fuck. i said "perihelion" when i really meant "aphelion".)