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Change Apoapsis to Apogee/Apokerb


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KSP has become a fantastic learning tool for aerospace, astrophysics and more. However one of the minor things that has remained constant and odd is the term "Apoapsis" which as we know is the peak point in your orbit above Kerbin, however in real life that would be called "Apogee" along with Periapsis which is the lowest point in a Kerbin orbit whereas the real term is "Perigee".

Call it nitpicking but I dislike the fact the game uses such odd terms for basics of orbital mechanics. It's easier to spell and it's meaning remains the same. Now if you don't like the idea of using real world terms then that's fine but can we change it so that it has more to do with Kerbin? Since the suffix apogee and perigee are both from the latin root Geo (of earth). So therefore it should be something like Apokerb (of Kerbal or of Kerbin).

This is just my thoughts, but maybe someone agrees? Let me know your thoughts, maybe you have a better name than Apokerb.

Edited by ZooNamedGames
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Apoapsis and Periapsis are the correct generic terms as you have already answered above. As you have already pointed out Ge comes from Greek meaning from Earth and therefore not appropriate unless you are playing RSS mod. As is Apolune and Perilune appropriate for the Moon. I'm happy for it to stay as the generic terms in the case of the Kerbin system. That's my 2 cents anyway.

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Changing terms to perikee and apo-ehh-mee and apodee, apolee, etc. is a pointless complexity that doesn't add anything of value to the game. Changing spheres of influence in ksp isn't nearly as difficult as in real life where only a few craft have left earth's orbit

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7 hours ago, pandaman said:

I think sticking to the generic terms is the best way.  The term used then remains constant whichever body is being referenced.

I agree. There's no need to change them and come up with new terms. It's enough that we have Kolniya orbits in the game already.

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13 hours ago, ZooNamedGames said:

Now if you don't like the idea of using real world terms then that's fine but can we change it so that it has more to do with Kerbin?

Apsis is a real world term.  Look it up.

EDIT: Or here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apsis

13 hours ago, JPLRepo said:

As is Apolune and Perilune appropriate for the Moon.

Apocynthion and Pericynthion actually.  EDIT2: After looking it up I guess Apolune/Perilune is a synonym.  I'd never heard it though.

Edited by Alshain
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Agreed with pretty much all the feedback on this thread:  there's zero point in having labels change to various values based on SoIApoapsis and periapsis are both correct terms.  They're not necessarily the only correct terms for a given SoI... but they're the only terms that are always correct regardless of SoI.  So we should stick with them, IMHO.

10 minutes ago, Alshain said:

Apocynthion and Pericynthion actually.

Okay, that's it.  Now I know what I'll be naming my next two children.  (If I ever have any more children, which will be never.)

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1 hour ago, Veeltch said:

I agree. There's no need to change them and come up with new terms. It's enough that we have Kolniya orbits in the game already.

I agree there, honestly don't understand that one.  I don't think the word 'Molniya' has any Earth-based root, they need to change it back to that so it is scientifically correct.  As far as I recall it was named after Russian satellites, which I suppose is Earth based, but the name doesn't specifically refer to Earth like Geo.

Edited by Alshain
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4 minutes ago, Veeltch said:

Doesn't that refer to the scythe-like shape of the Moon though? 

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_orbit or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apsis#Terminology_graph.  All three forms have been used.

 

I have seen it broken down into more specific rules of which to use in certain cases:

apocynthion- High point in the orbit of an object put into lunar orbit from Earth.
apolune- High point in the orbit of an object put into lunar orbit from the Moon.
aposelene- High point in the orbit of an object in lunar orbit.

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