How realistic is the existence of Hoth in Star Wars?

[DAgent]

Something I've wondered about with Hoth is just how likely it is that an entirely ice planet could exist, and still support any life at all. It has a day and night cycle, gravity, oxygen, local life forms and weather, but how likely is any of that in reality?

A quick look at wookiepedia, it turns out Hoth is the 6th planet in that system, so that suggests it is relatively close to its sun so it might be in a sweet spot, but surely that would mean some of the ice would melt? And you'd still have the issue of where does any oxygen come from given the lack of plant life.

 

[Harpo]

It was a long time ago.
In a galaxy far, far away.

Different times innit.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I'm not an expert, but there's snow on Hoth, so it can't be that cold?

Life on our own planet has lived through colder climes.

 

[BAYLOR]

I'm not an expert, but there's snow on Hoth, so it can't be that cold?

Life on our own planet has lived through colder climes.

Snowball Earth

 

[Swank]

Something I've wondered about with Hoth is just how likely it is that an entirely ice planet could exist, and still support any life at all. It has a day and night cycle, gravity, oxygen, local life forms and weather, but how likely is any of that in reality?

A quick look at wookiepedia, it turns out Hoth is the 6th planet in that system, so that suggests it is relatively close to its sun so it might be in a sweet spot, but surely that would mean some of the ice would melt? And you'd still have the issue of where does any oxygen come from given the lack of plant life.

The number of planets doesn't mean a lot in terms of distance from the sun.

I think you've made the assumption that Hoth's environment is stable. But the life there could just be the last of a dying ecosystem.

Or the planet could be hot inside, with life thriving in caves or underwater. And the few life forms that come to the surface allow the yeti things to survive. Like how penguins live in Antarctica.

Or a parabolic orbit that makes the winter cycle decades long.

Or life on Hoth hibernates a lot.

 

[Foxbat]

Europa is bound in ice but it's thought that below the ice, where the water is in liquid form, could be the most likely place to find life outside of Earth in our solar system.

Looking at your source it says: Most of its surface was covered with glaciers and frozen ice plains. Another third of the planet was covered by oceans

So not a planet covered entirely in ice. Oceans would also allow the possibility of vegetation, which would be a source of oxygen through photosynthesis. On Earth, Seagrass makes a significant contribution to the creation of the world's oxygen.

 

[Rodders]

I always thought the base on Hoth would've been somewhere along the equatorial belt.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Don't forget, the Rebels live inside a base protected from the elements. Creatures that live on Hoth have thick fur and live in caves, protected from the extremity of the cold at night. It snows, and people can walk about outside in the daytime, so it can't be that cold.

 

[BAYLOR]

Don't forget, the Rebels live inside a base protected from the elements. Creatures that live on Hoth have thick fur and live in caves, protected from the extremity of the cold at night. It snows, and people can walk about outside in the daytime, so it can't be that cold.

Except for the occasional hazard of a Wompa Ice Monster and imperial spy droid , it's not such bad place.