If two planets were to collide...

[Wampa842]

More and more planetary systems are released for Planet Factory CE, and since space is quite limited in KSP, two are bound to intersect sooner or later. Ascension's description even states that a small change in its orbit may wipe out kerbalkind. This led me to think: what would happen if two celestial bodies were to collide?

I don't think it's possible to destroy planets, maybe they would just clip through each other. Maybe they would make the game crash. It would be a sight to see nevertheless.

[iDan122]

[The Destroyer]

Been there, done that.

TL;DW, (you should ) Nothing really happens... the physics just kinda... die.

[cantab]

More and more planetary systems are released for Planet Factory CE, and since space is quite limited in KSP, two are bound to intersect sooner or later.

Is it, though? Does anyone know what the widest possible orbit is without sending everything haywire?

Even if it is finite, remember the system's 3D. Two orbits can apparently cross entirely safely if one is above the other. So I believe planetary collisions are only possible if two different modders happen to copy the same orbital inclination and longitude of ascending node (most obviously if it's a zero-inclination orbit).

SOI "collisions" are probably a fair bit more likely, being as planetary SOIs are much bigger than the planets themselves, and I can see them causing weird issues.

[vexx32]

Is it, though? Does anyone know what the widest possible orbit is without sending everything haywire?

Even if it is finite, remember the system's 3D. Two orbits can apparently cross entirely safely if one is above the other. So I believe planetary collisions are only possible if two different modders happen to copy the same orbital inclination and longitude of ascending node (most obviously if it's a zero-inclination orbit).

SOI "collisions" are probably a fair bit more likely, being as planetary SOIs are much bigger than the planets themselves, and I can see them causing weird issues.

Even if the inclination is different, if the orbits have similar or identical Ap/Pe, there will a point at which they might at some point cross. However, there is sufficient space out there to plonk hundreds of planets in, if you're careful about it. It wouldn't be a stable system in reality, though, with all the different planets' gravity acting on each other.

[Gatrnerd]

The game decides to divide by zero, causing the NaN (not a number) Kraken to occur.

[SpacedCowboy]

Shouldn't this post be in add-ons and affairs?

[Christoph1337]

Well, technically all you have to do is make your orbit slightly inclined and elliptical and it's virtually impossible to share an orbit. As for collisions, it's highly unlikely two independently made planets will pass through the exact same point. But a near conjunction would be amazing to see.

[Special Agent Sigvan]

If a planet crashes into a planet.

Bad things happen to all involved.