Atmospheric and Mineral composition of Planets

[footman04]

I'm curious as to the atmospheric and mineral composition of the various planets and moons in Kerbal Space Program. Mainly, I'd like to ask if there have been any developer confirm facts regarding this.

For example, I've heard rumors that Laythe's oceans are mainly comprised of ammonia, and that Eve's oceans are filled with rocket fuel. I am also uncertain as to what kind of gas would create a purple atmosphere.

[PwnedDuck]

The Laythe ocean rumours are based in the temprature allegedly not being high enough for water to exist without it, which I found strange: everywhere I go on Laythe seems to be about 4-6 degrees, which is above freezing...

[HeadHunter67]

Kerbin itself must be made out of some incredibly dense material, to have a diameter that's 1/10th of Earth but still the same gravity - especially since Kerbin's mass is 1/100th of Earth! According to the KSP wiki, Kerbin is 10 times denser than Earth. We can therefore conclude that their planet must consist primarily of osmium, iridium and platinum - a very valuable planet!

This would explain why they are able to build things that endure more stress and punishment than they should. I suggest that a goal of our own space program should be to find this world, travel to it, and occupy it for mining.

[Themohawkninja]

Well, if the way resources are planned to be distributed and scanned isn't changed too dramatically, you will be able to at least see what precious materials there are in the atmospheres/land/oceans of bodies.

[Sof]

KSP doesn't exist in our universe. Everything asides from water and air are completely unrelated to the elements in our universe.

[HeadHunter67]

Well, meters and kilograms do exist in KSP, and whatever Kerbin is made from, it's got to be as dense as the densest material known to man.

Maybe it's made from the same material used in posts on Internet forums and Facebook pages.

[SkyRender]

It's generally accepted that the Kerbals' corner of the universe is exactly 10 times denser than ours but otherwise is not meaningfully different. Anyway, back on the subject...

Laythe reportedly has high ammonia concentration in its oceans. And Eve apparently has the equivalent of Plutonium (called Blutonium in KSP) in its oceans, going by that old resource chart that came out around the time before 0.19 was due to be released. I'd guess that there's a decent amount of pitchblende on Eve as well (an ore of Uranium), given its very purple surface. Eve is pretty much a giant chunk of condensed radioactive isotopes, in short.

[SofusRud]

about the density, I actually think that rather than be made of a super-dense manterial, the Kerbal universe simply has a different gravitational constant compared to our own

[footman04]

It's generally accepted that the Kerbals' corner of the universe is exactly 10 times denser than ours but otherwise is not meaningfully different. Anyway, back on the subject...

Laythe reportedly has high ammonia concentration in its oceans. And Eve apparently has the equivalent of Plutonium (called Blutonium in KSP) in its oceans, going by that old resource chart that came out around the time before 0.19 was due to be released. I'd guess that there's a decent amount of pitchblende on Eve as well (an ore of Uranium), given its very purple surface. Eve is pretty much a giant chunk of condensed radioactive isotopes, in short.

Plutonium is a man made material. It makes no sense that it would exist naturally anywhere in the universe.

[Brotoro]

Plutonium is a man made material. It makes no sense that it would exist naturally anywhere in the universe.

Plutonium is produced in supernova explosions just like uranium and other heavy elements are, so you could certainly find it there. But, because of its relatively short half life (compared to the time it takes to form a solar system and develop inteligent life that might be interested in plutonium) the plutonium in our solar system has decayed away long ago.

[SkyRender]

Plutonium is produced in supernova explosions just like uranium and other heavy elements are, so you could certainly find it there. But, because of its relatively short half life (compared to the time it takes to form a solar system and develop inteligent life that might be interested in Plutonium) the plutonium in our solar system haas decayed away long ago.

Pretty much. Which actually gives some credence to the theory of Kerbals living in a super-dense patch of the universe: generally speaking, younger chunks of the universe are more dense. Ergo a part of the universe where natural plutonium still exists would probably also still be very dense.

[urablahblah]

I think Squad should invent all fictitious minerals and elements to populate the KSP universe with. It makes no sense for there to be any realistic elements present in KSP because of the density conundrum. Trying to associate realistic elements with KSP is a pointless activity, because it wasn't designed around real materials. It was designed around fun materials.

[HeadHunter67]

I actually think that rather than be made of a super-dense manterial, the Kerbal universe simply has a different gravitational constant compared to our own

But then all the propulsion and travel in the game would not conform to Earth-normal Newtonian concepts, would it? In short, we wouldn't be able to use our understanding of rocket science to play the game... because our rocket science would be meaningless there.

I prefer to simply suspend my disbelief and enjoy it for what it is - after all, we're talking about little green men with oblong heads and googly eyes here.

[Brotoro]

Pretty much. Which actually gives some credence to the theory of Kerbals living in a super-dense patch of the universe: generally speaking, younger chunks of the universe are more dense. Ergo a part of the universe where natural plutonium still exists would probably also still be very dense.

It doesn't matter whether you have an abundance of heavy elements in the Kerbol system... the densities of most of the objects in that system are far beyond that of ANY known or predicted element. To make the Kerbol system, you would need some sort of super-heavy state of stable matter to exist. You wouldn't have to make whole planes out of the stuff...it would only need to exist in the cores, with normal elements on the exteriors of the planets.

Or Magratheans.

[Patupi]

Either that or every planet in the Kerbol system is infuzed with Hawking radiation shielded, micro black holes and the whole thing will only last a few thousand years before getting gobbled up.

(And I don't think there are any glaciers on Kerbin for Slartibartfast to sign unfortunately. Some ice fields but it really not the same thing is it. Besides, have you seen any Fjords? No Glaciers, no Fjords )

Edited August 2, 2013 by Patupi

[footman04]

But then all the propulsion and travel in the game would not conform to Earth-normal Newtonian concepts, would it? In short, we wouldn't be able to use our understanding of rocket science to play the game... because our rocket science would be meaningless there.

I prefer to simply suspend my disbelief and enjoy it for what it is - after all, we're talking about little green men with oblong heads and googly eyes here.

I enjoy the exploration and scientific aspects of the game greatly; thus I am interested in the composition of it's content.

[AntonioAJC]

I think Squad should invent all fictitious minerals and elements to populate the KSP universe with. It makes no sense for there to be any realistic elements present in KSP because of the density conundrum. Trying to associate realistic elements with KSP is a pointless activity, because it wasn't designed around real materials. It was designed around fun materials.

Well, I think that Squad should leave the invention of minerals and elements in KSP to their consumer base IMO. Then they can choose which ones they want to be implemented in the game

[HeadHunter67]

I enjoy the exploration and scientific aspects of the game greatly; thus I am interested in the composition of it's content.

Nothing at all wrong with that; but you simply have to accept that if you try to understand KSP geology using Earth science, the only way to rectify it is to state that the composition of the worlds in the Kerbol system must be made of stuff that's 10 times denser than the worlds in our own solar system. And that means the stuff that Kerbin is made of must be as dense as the densest materials on Earth.

Since that is hard to rationalize scientifically, it's probably easier to chalk it up to "just a game".

[Brotoro]

The air on Kerbin is not 10 times denser. The oceans are not 10 times denser. The ship parts are not 10 times denser. We know this from moving through the air, floats in the water, and from the given sizes and masses of the parts. So not everything is NOT 10 times denser. There is no reason that the outer parts of the planets in the Kerbol system have to be made from any exotic matter. All you need is super-dense matter in the cores of the bodies... then you can proceed as normal with the other Physics as we know it.

[ouion]

Jool's atmosphere could be Chlorine or potassium gases,because they are both green when in gas form.

[NERVAfan]

The air on Kerbin is not 10 times denser. The oceans are not 10 times denser. The ship parts are not 10 times denser. We know this from moving through the air, floats in the water, and from the given sizes and masses of the parts. So not everything is NOT 10 times denser. There is no reason that the outer parts of the planets in the Kerbol system have to be made from any exotic matter. All you need is super-dense matter in the cores of the bodies... then you can proceed as normal with the other Physics as we know it.

Yeah.

The only reasonable explanation (if we found something like this in the real world) is that the Kerbol system planets are artificially constructed.

They might even be "mini Dyson Spheres" around a planetary-mass black hole, with the interior (deeper than the oceans/canyons/etc) being vacuum. (EDIT: Then the 'shells', the visible parts of the planets, could be entirely ordinary rock/metal/ice/etc.)

[Zeroignite]

wrong thread, delete

[ouion]

They might even be "mini Dyson Spheres" around a planetary-mass black hole, with the interior (deeper than the oceans/canyons/etc) being vacuum. (EDIT: Then the 'shells', the visible parts of the planets, could be entirely ordinary rock/metal/ice/etc.)

by who !? *mysterious*

[leax256]

Kerbin itself must be made out of some incredibly dense material, to have a diameter that's 1/10th of Earth but still the same gravity - especially since Kerbin's mass is 1/100th of Earth! According to the KSP wiki, Kerbin is 10 times denser than Earth. We can therefore conclude that their planet must consist primarily of osmium, iridium and platinum - a very valuable planet!

This would explain why they are able to build things that endure more stress and punishment than they should. I suggest that a goal of our own space program should be to find this world, travel to it, and occupy it for mining.

only problem it that these are valuable mostly for their raity. if there was alot then it would be less valuable.

[HeadHunter67]

everything is NOT 10 times denser. There is no reason that the outer parts of the planets in the Kerbol system have to be made from any exotic matter. All you need is super-dense matter in the cores of the bodies... then you can proceed as normal with the other Physics as we know it.

Fair enough - in which case, the materials that make up their planetary cores must be orders of magnitude denser than anything known to Mankind. Probably Impossibilium, Impervium, or some Kerbium alloy.