[astro-ph.EP] Tidally locked exoplanets orbiting M dwarf stars are prime targets in the search for habitable worlds, yet their complex climate dynamics challenge conventional models of habitability.
![Surface temperature of the 22 exoplanets in an aquaplanet configuration. Obliquity and eccentricity are set to zero, and all are tidally locked with Earth-like atmospheric chemistry and pressure. Level lines correspond to the temperatures of 223.15, 273.15, and 323.15 K. White lines indicate the terminator, that is, the boundary between the illuminated and the dark sides of a planet. Black dots indicate the prevalence of sea ice (ice fraction larger than 0.5). -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Assessing-1.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.EP] Tidally locked exoplanets orbiting M dwarf stars are prime targets in the search for habitable worlds, yet their complex climate dynamics challenge conventional models of habitability.