Exoplanets: Conditions, Appearances, and Names

[fredinno]

44 minutes ago, ProtoJeb21 said:

Here are possible characteristics of quite opposite exoplanets: The most dense, K2-22b, and the least dense, Kepler-453b:

• K2-22B (MENOETIUS): This exoplanet has a density of a LEAST 160 grams per cubic cm. Menoetius is named after the Titan of destruction and carnage, an appropriate name for this horrible planet. Its high density gives it a huge gravitational pull, crushing the crust down and fracturing the surface. Lava pools out of giant, erupting canyons and forms lakes of molten rock. Parts of the crust may randomly explode due to such high pressures. Speaking of high pressure, Menoetius may have an immensely thick atmosphere of volcanic gases, hydrogen, and helium. The temperature may rise to over 1,000 degrees. Most impacting object would burn up in the atmosphere, but those that make it down create lava-filled craters and cause more volcanic eruptions.
• KEPLER-453B (ORPHEUS): Orpheus has an absurd size-to-mass ratio. It is 5-6 times the diameter of Earth, but has a mass comparable to that of LUNA. What. The. Horse. Being in the habitable zone of its two parent stars, Orpheus would have clouds mostly made up of water vapor. Little Hydrogen or Helium is left, because the planet's weak gravity cannot hold onto such airborne gases. They would be blown into interplanetary space by the twin sun's solar rays. Orpheus's clouds won't settle into neat bands and stripes, once again due to the planet's gravity. Shockwave-like storms would replace hurricanes as the main type of violent weather. That atmosphere would be bleeding into space because all of those solar rays would overcome the weak gravity of Orpheus, stripping of the fluffy atmosphere. It is quite possible that Orpheus may just have one large moon, which a chance of being Earth-like. All the others would be tiny little asteroids like Phobos and Deimos.

On 3/23/2016 at 0:00 PM, ProtoJeb21 said:

I've named it after the minor god Aristaios, the god of arts and beekeeping. While it may seem random, I found myths about Aristaios that almost parallel to the planet Kepler-452b.

I also named Gliese 436 b. Instead of naming it for its ice-fire characteristics, I named it after its comet-like tail and hot temperatures. It is named Metiokhe, after one of the twin nymph daughters of Orion. After falsely convicted for a felony, the depressed twins were sacrificed on a burning pyre. They were later turned into cometary spirits by Hades and Persephone.

PROTIP: Do not use Greek/Latin mythological names for Exoplanets. Seriously, people used to do that with asteroids and now literally 50% of all Greek/Latin mythological names are consumed by asteroids !

We need them for Dwarf Planets, Planet 9, new moons (especially around Uranus and Neptune, which lack planetary missions to, and of Dwarf planets) and possibly rouge planets in the Oort Cloud.

DO NOT USE THEM, PLZ!!

Thank you.

 

 

On 3/23/2016 at 9:32 AM, GabrielKerman-BR said:

I imagine how it must be in Gliese 436 b, he and an extremely near exo-planet from its star, the though that he has ice solid in its surface, I honestly thought this very cool exo-planet, I have not thought of a name, more have to be related to ice or fire!

 

If it has an atmosphere, (even a thin one) it will not be freezing as you think on the other side because atmospheres efficiently transfer heat from point a to b. The winds would be something to see though.

[ProtoJeb21]

18 hours ago, fredinno said:

PROTIP: Do not use Greek/Latin mythological names for Exoplanets. Seriously, people used to do that with asteroids and now literally 50% of all Greek/Latin mythological names are consumed by asteroids !

We need them for Dwarf Planets, Planet 9, new moons (especially around Uranus and Neptune, which lack planetary missions to, and of Dwarf planets) and possibly rouge planets in the Oort Cloud.

DO NOT USE THEM, PLZ!!

Thank you.

Occasionally, I don't use "Orpheus" but the Greek spelling, "Orfeas". I've done this for a few planet names that share names with asteroids. Also, I've used the Greek LANGUAGE a few times, along with deities from over a dozen other cultures, like Celtic, Irish, Norse, Basque, Egyptian, and Slavic mythology. I do understand that the naming of asteroids back in the old days (1800-1950's) is an utter failure.

[kerbiloid]

On 25.03.2016 at 9:44 PM, fredinno said:

Do not use Greek/Latin mythological names for Exoplanets. Seriously, people used to do that with asteroids and now literally 50% of all Greek/Latin mythological names are consumed by asteroids !

We need them for Dwarf Planets, Planet 9, new moons (especially around Uranus and Neptune, which lack planetary missions to, and of Dwarf planets) and possibly rouge planets in the Oort Cloud.

No more planets until the Minoan script A and Phaistos Disc are decyphered!

[ProtoJeb21]

I know I'm a little late on this, but there are 7 new Kepler solar systems! Kepler-454 through Kepler-460. The Neptune-sized worlds Kepler-458b and Kepler-460b are interesting because they have habitable-zone temperatures, so habitable moons are possible. Moons of Kepler-458b seem most promising since the host planet has a temperature of 232 Kelvin (-42.07 Fahrenheit). Moons of gas giants are subjected to tidal heating, so moons around Kepler-460b could be heated beyond the host's temperature of 308 Kelvin (94.73 Fahrenheit). Compare these average temperatures to Earth's equilibrium temperature of 288 Kelvin (59 Fahrenheit). Also, greenhouse gases would also warm up moons. A Terra moon of Kepler-458b could be heated to 300 Kelvin (80.33 Fahrenheit); A Terra moon of Kepler-460b could be heated to the uninhabitable 470 Kelvin (386.33 Fahrenheit). Keep in mind that Kepler-458b is 4.6 Earth Radii, and Kepler-460b is 6.4 Earth Radii.

[Spaceception]

Just now, ProtoJeb21 said:

I know I'm a little late on this, but there are 7 new Kepler solar systems! Kepler-454 through Kepler-460. The Neptune-sized worlds Kepler-458b and Kepler-460b are interesting because they have habitable-zone temperatures, so habitable moons are possible. Moons of Kepler-458b seem most promising since the host planet has a temperature of 232 Kelvin (-42.07 Fahrenheit). Moons of gas giants are subjected to tidal heating, so moons around Kepler-460b could be heated beyond the host's temperature of 308 Kelvin (94.73 Fahrenheit). Compare these average temperatures to Earth's equilibrium temperature of 288 Kelvin (59 Fahrenheit). Also, greenhouse gases would also warm up moons. A Terra moon of Kepler-458b could be heated to 300 Kelvin (80.33 Fahrenheit); A Terra moon of Kepler-460b could be heated to the uninhabitable 470 Kelvin (386.33 Fahrenheit). Keep in mind that Kepler-458b is 4.6 Earth Radii, and Kepler-460b is 6.4 Earth Radii.

Links? I searched on google, and all that came up was Kepler 452b.

Edited March 28, 2016 by Spaceception

[ProtoJeb21]

The next 7 Kepler systems are on the Kepler page: http://kepler.nasa.gov/Mission/discoveries/

Also, if anybody has made a representation of a real-life exoplanet in KSP with Kopernicus, pictures of it are recommended!

Edited March 28, 2016 by ProtoJeb21

[fredinno]

20 hours ago, ProtoJeb21 said:

I know I'm a little late on this, but there are 7 new Kepler solar systems! Kepler-454 through Kepler-460. The Neptune-sized worlds Kepler-458b and Kepler-460b are interesting because they have habitable-zone temperatures, so habitable moons are possible. Moons of Kepler-458b seem most promising since the host planet has a temperature of 232 Kelvin (-42.07 Fahrenheit). Moons of gas giants are subjected to tidal heating, so moons around Kepler-460b could be heated beyond the host's temperature of 308 Kelvin (94.73 Fahrenheit). Compare these average temperatures to Earth's equilibrium temperature of 288 Kelvin (59 Fahrenheit). Also, greenhouse gases would also warm up moons. A Terra moon of Kepler-458b could be heated to 300 Kelvin (80.33 Fahrenheit); A Terra moon of Kepler-460b could be heated to the uninhabitable 470 Kelvin (386.33 Fahrenheit). Keep in mind that Kepler-458b is 4.6 Earth Radii, and Kepler-460b is 6.4 Earth Radii.

The problem with Neptune-sized worlds is that they generally only host small moons, too small to support life.... UNLESS a larger moon is captured.

It also still deals with tidal locking, and so life would need to deal with its oceans being pushed to the poles of the planet.

Honestly, I would rather prefer gas giants over 3x Jupiter Mass, simply because there will be multiple Mars-sized moons that can have life, even though the innermost ones are likely to be uninhabitable or desert planets due to tidal heating.

[ProtoJeb21]

On 3/29/2016 at 1:12 PM, fredinno said:

The problem with Neptune-sized worlds is that they generally only host small moons, too small to support life.... UNLESS a larger moon is captured.

It also still deals with tidal locking, and so life would need to deal with its oceans being pushed to the poles of the planet.

Honestly, I would rather prefer gas giants over 3x Jupiter Mass, simply because there will be multiple Mars-sized moons that can have life, even though the innermost ones are likely to be uninhabitable or desert planets due to tidal heating.

Well, moons of Neptune-sized exoplanets don't really have to be Earth-sized terras. Here are a few types of potentially habitable exomoons that I think may exist:

1. WATER DWARFS: These are small ocean worlds that form from an ice world melting. If the ice world had a sub-surface ocean before the heating began, it could become a Water Dwarf. Water Dwarfs are less than 0.6 Earth Radii and would have less than 0.5 Earth masses. In order for them to be completely covered in water, these Water Dwarfs would need to orbit beyond the tidal heating zone. With an orbital period of 3-10 days and a Titan-like atmospheres, Water Dwarfs can be great places for aquatic life forms.
2. MINI EARTHS: Like the name suggests, Mini Earths are smaller versions of Earth. They also would have once been ice worlds. However, they would have originally had sub-surface lakes, not oceans. Mini Earths could be as small as Titan and may be able to orbit slightly inside the Tidal Heating Zone. Oceans on closer Mini Earths would be around the moon's poles, while farther ones could have much larger seas. Basically, they're terra versions of Titan.
3. ARES WORLDS: These moons (or planets) are small desert worlds at most the size of Mars. Ares Worlds could orbit closer to their host planets because water doesn't need to be on its surface. Giant caves and underground canyons could be filled with water and have comfortable temperatures, even if the surface is uninhabitable. Depending on the host star's lifespan, Ares Worlds could possibly spawn intelligent races. However, they would be extra boring because they don't know anything about the cosmos. Ares Worlds can either be heated by the star or by their host planet, so their orbital periods can be anywhere from 3-20 days. If they have wide orbits, these moons may exist around planets closer than the habitable zone.

[ProtoJeb21]

I got some more hypothetical planet types:

• WATER GIANTS: The dramatic opposites of the tiny Water Dwarfs. Water Giants are similar to Ice Giants like Neptune, but have thin atmospheres and are nearly entirely water. One possible Water Giant is GJ 1214 b (Belisama), which has 2.7 Earth Radii, 7 Earth Masses, 0.91 gees of gravity, and a density of 2 grams per cubic centimeter. I modeled the planet in Universe Sandbox 2 and gave it a composition of (about) 85% water, 9% silicates, 4% iron, and the remaining 2% is an atmosphere. This composition gave the modeled planet 2.69 Earth Radii, 6.95 Earth Masses, 0.89 gees of gravity, and a density of 1.9 grams per cubic centimeter. Water Giants could've been ice giants that bordered the line between a gaseous planet and a rocky planet, before migrating inwards. They can have 2-5 Earth Radii and 6-50 Earth Masses.
• GAS TERRAS: These are rocky planets around the size of Earth that have enormous atmospheres. In fact, over 1% of their mass is an atmosphere. Their massive blankets of gas have over 60 times the pressure of our atmosphere. However, they have Earth-like densities and compositions, with at most 99% of their mass being rocks and iron. Gas Terras have 0.8 to 2 Earth Radii and 0.7 to 1.8 Earth Masses. They do not have enough gravity to become gas dwarfs, but are an in-between category. Gas Terras occur in regions around their star where they would have surface temperatures of 190 to 500 Kelvin if an atmosphere was not present. They maybe hotter due to greenhouse effects. Venus is a good example of what a Gas Terra may be like.
• PUZZLE PLANETS: The best places for a podrace! But seriously, they would make the Mos Espa pod-race track look like a kindergarten playground. Puzzle Planets come in a variety of radii (0.05-1.4 ER) and masses (0.006-2.3 EM), but they are all fractured worlds with extensive canyon regions. They form in a few ways: An ice planet that migrates inwards has its icy crust fracture and evaporate; Earth-like planets dry up and leave giant lowlands behind; Small ice worlds are blown apart but reform under their own gravity. Miranda is an example of a Class 3 Puzzle Planet. Tau Ceti e may be a Class 2 Puzzle Planet.
• MUSPELLS: Coming from the Norse word for fire, these are scorching planets covered with molten rock. To be called a Muspell, a planet must be rocky and have a surface temperature of over 2500 Kelvins. Some of the best examples are CoRoT-7b (2866.483 Kelvin), Janssen/55 Cancri e (avg. temperature of about 3000 Kelvin), Kepler-78b (2300-3100 Kelvin), and Kepler-70b (7143 Kelvin! What the Hutt?!). At least 30% of their surfaces are covered in lava, and they may be volcanic.
• MINI and MEGA CHIORRAS: The name for this planet class comes from Chione, the Greek snow goddess, and Terra, Latin for Earth. Chiorras are rocky ice planets with relatively thin atmospheres. They get no warmer than 210 Kelvin (-81.67 Fahrenheit) and have not experienced much planetary migration. Mini Chiorras, like Pluto, have 0.05-0.5 Earth Radii and 0.005-0.35 Earth Masses. Mega Chiorras, like OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb, have 0.5-2.5 Earth Radii and 0.3-4.8 Earth Masses. Any more massive and these planets would become gas dwarfs or will be too geologically active to be icy. All types of Chiorras may have subsurface oceans and possibly life, so Mega Chiorras should be a good target for E.T. Just don't expect it to be intelligent.
• CRUSH PLANETS: These hellish and rare planets are a step up from Mega Earths. Crush Planets have over 20 times the mass of Earth, yet have 0.8-2.5 Earth Radii. Their densities are gargantuan. The only example of a crush planet, K2-22b (Menoetius), have a density of over 140 grams/cubic centimeter! That's nearly 29 times more dense than Earth! These planets would be fracturing and exploding with volcanic eruptions. Some Crush Planets could have dense atmospheres of volcanic gases. If so, they will be a subclass of Crush Planet known as a SMOG CRUSHER. See more info on Crush Planets on page 1.

Edited April 17, 2016 by ProtoJeb21
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