Suumer/Winter Cycles

[davieholgate]

On planetary bodies, when the planet is at perihelion or aphelion of a planet in KSP, does the temperature differ?

I think I may be onto something and squad accidentally added summer/winter style cycles...

anyone up for checking all the bodies for this phenomenon?

[deadshot462]

Seasons are caused mostly by the planet's axial tilt, not its distance to the sun.

Kerbin probably has the same season all year since it's not tilted and gets equal sunlight all year long.

Same for Duna, maybe just a few degrees colder at apoapsis.

Eeloo probably feels the harshest differences by becoming very cold when it's farthest away from the sun.

But yes, I would like planets to get axial tilting so that seasons could be added.

[Thomas988]

More axial tilts would be nice.

[boxman]

More axial tilts would be nice.

One of the reasons I want some new planets so they can add some more realistic ones with axial tilt.

[Vanamonde]

The temperature system is extremely incomplete right now. Any given location is always at the same temperature, and the only variation you'll find is that it is cooler at higher altitudes on those worlds which have atmospheres. Temperature doesn't even change from day to night.

[MockKnizzle]

I mean, technically any KSP planet with an inclined orbit has an effective axial tilt (since no planet has a tilt relative to the galactic plane) and thus seasons to some degree.

[katateochi]

Yes some planets with axial tilt would be nice. I doubt we'll ever see that on Kerbin though as it would add further complications for newbs getting into regular orbits, but it would be nice to have it on some planets.

[Scottiths]

I don't know how I would launch things with an axial tilt... It would no longer be 1) Start engines, 2) go up some, 3) point 90, 4) orbit at 0 degree inclination by default

[Epthelyn]

I don't know how I would launch things with an axial tilt... It would no longer be 1) Start engines, 2) go up some, 3) point 90, 4) orbit at 0 degree inclination by default

For any Kerbin orbit, it would be exactly the same; East is relative to a planet, not space.

For transfers to anything with a different axial tilt, you'd just need a plane change in as high an orbit as possible (maximum efficiency).

The only thing that would change getting into an equatorial orbit would be launching not from the equator.

[qfeys]

Maybe once difficulties get implemented, the harder ones could let the planets and moons have some axial tilt.

[Epthelyn]

Maybe once difficulties get implemented, the harder ones could let the planets and moons have some axial tilt.

As much as difficult settings like that would be good, it doesn't really make sense to change the position and orientation of planets and moons; you would have no real way to compare two players playing on different difficulties if the system was changed that much. It'd be far more reasonable just to move KSC north or south.

[Richy teh space man]

I thought I remember reading a while back that it wasn't possible to add axial tilt due to unity limits.

Don't quote me on that though..

[rdfox]

The only thing that would change getting into an equatorial orbit would be launching not from the equator.

Which, technically, is already the case. (The KSC launch pad is actually at... IIRC, 0d5'32" S, not directly on the equator.)

As much as difficult settings like that would be good, it doesn't really make sense to change the position and orientation of planets and moons; you would have no real way to compare two players playing on different difficulties if the system was changed that much. It'd be far more reasonable just to move KSC north or south.

Aha, so THAT'S why KSC2 exists!

[Epthelyn]

Which, technically, is already the case. (The KSC launch pad is actually at... IIRC, 0d5'32" S, not directly on the equator.)

Technically, yes, but practically it makes very little difference

Aha, so THAT'S why KSC2 exists!

I honestly didn't think of that.

[MajorThomas]

Wait, you can launch from KSC 2?

[Axder]

With wheels anything is possible.

[regex]

Yes some planets with axial tilt would be nice. I doubt we'll ever see that on Kerbin though as it would add further complications for newbs getting into regular orbits, but it would be nice to have it on some planets.

Which sucks because it would be very cool to have to deal with real life complications like appropriate launch time and inclined orbits. I would love to see a Baikonur analog where the time you launch had a very great effect on your resulting orbit or the delta-V you had to expend to correct it.

[Epthelyn]

Wait, you can launch from KSC 2?

No, it just happens to be non-equatorial.

[rdfox]

Wait, you can launch from KSC 2?

Not YET...

[KerbMav]

Kerbin, Mun and Duna share inclinations parallel to the orbital plane to give easy targets for less experienced players.

Giving Kerbin a tilted axis and tilting Mun's orbit too would result in:

1. fewer rarer eclipses

2. giving an easy launch to Mun only twice in a Kerbin year, as its orbit would only then be aligned as it is now

And being able to select a launch site would be nice, but it would have to have a viable reason to do so - which would be a tilted Kerbin axis/inclined Mun orbit.

Tilting the other planets wouldnt change that much - switching their rotational direction on the other hand, both around Kerbol and themselves ... big asteroid/planetoid with 90° tilted axis, highly exentric and inclined orbit going clockwise ...

[Pds314]

Hmm... It would be interesting to have an arctic circle. Very useful I might add as well because you can get continuous solar power for multiple days in a row, up to half a year of whatever planet you are on.

Technically, Moons in an inclined orbit transit their planet less some times, creating two "winters" and two "summers" every year. The whole moon receives less light due to eclipses. If planet shadows were present in KSP, this would mean Pol and Bop might have "seasons."

[Pds314]

Or for that matter, planets in an inclined orbit have true seasons if they have 0 axial tilt.

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

Here is my blog on how planets already have seasons: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/entries/975-Planets-DO-have-seasons

All information is there, I just can't be bothered to re-write it.

And kerbmav, why would having a tilted axis permit only 2 mun launches a year? Do you only launch during a solar eclipse, at any time, I could launch and go into orbit, change inclination and rendezvous with the mun, it doesn't have to be lined up. Do you even astrophysics?

Edited January 23, 2014 by SpaceSphereOfDeath

[KerbMav]

Do you even astrophysics?

Do you even read?

What I said was, that if they had an inclination to satisfy the wish for seasons, an advantage for an easy launch at any time would be lost for new players.

And - simply as a fact - that "kerbolar" eclipses would be rarer.

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

As far as I know there are some Planets with Axial Tilts. Because all Planets are always tilted 0° to the Galaxy, the Tilt of the plane around Kerbol gives them some kind of Axial Tilt. Correct me if I am wrong.