Minmus: a dormant comet?

[Souper]

My theory is that Minmus is actually a comet nucleus, and that if one were to move it closer to the sun, it would acquire a tale of dust that would be huge and burn for a long time.

Is this possible?

[Kryten]

Minmus doesn't really look anything like a comet. Yes, comet nuclei are predominately icy, but that's overwhelmed by simple carbon compounds-they're a deep, deep black.

[Souper]

Well, Minmus has grey-black boulders that had to come from somewhere, so, Minmus probably has carbon, maybe beneath it's surface.

[Tommygun]

Well even at Kerbin's distance I think Minmus would melt if it where a comet and leave behind a very low density fluff ball?

I like the proposal that some have made that Minmus should be considered as being covered in different types of salt crystals.

A mixture of Sodium chloride, Nickel chloride and Copper sulfate salt crystals could make the colors seem on that moon.

I'm not sure, but Minmus's gravity might be too large for a comet too, not that there is a defined amount for a comet.

[jwenting]

yes, were Minmus water ice it would disappear into a cloud of vapour over a relatively short period in the habitable zone around the sun.

Which would make its orbit around Kerbin rather unstable.

[Tex]

Hmm... in that case, it raises some interesting questions about the nature of Minmussian oceans. Does anyone have an idea of what elements make up the turquoise-ish ice like that?

[Souper]

Could be the same salt found on Laythe that makes the minmussian oceans not evaporate into a comet trail.

[jwenting]

Hmm... in that case, it raises some interesting questions about the nature of Minmussian oceans. Does anyone have an idea of what elements make up the turquoise-ish ice like that?

mint vanilla fudge?

[lajoswinkler]

Comet cores are jagged, porous and pitch black. Minmus doesn't look anything like that.

[architeuthis]

Minmus is a lot bigger than any comets that have been observed in our solar system, also as many have noted its albedo is much too high. It's possible that, due to some series of fortuitous orbital encounters, Minmus avoided any low perihelion orbits of Kerbol before being captured by Kerbin and thus sublimating off its volatiles to gradually reveal a darker sub-surface. The thing is, even though Minmus orbit is inclined, it has zero eccentricity which would be really odd for a recently captured body.

[Tommygun]

Could be the same salt found on Laythe that makes the minmussian oceans not evaporate into a comet trail.

Minmus has no atmosphere, so it can't have liquid "water" even with salt in it. Even ice would sublime over time in Kerbin orbit unless covered by soil or in a deep dark crater.

The flat areas on Minmus look like dried salt lake beds as see on Earth. At best you might find some ice deep under the salt.

I think of Minmus as a captured rogue moon or dwarf planet, as it seems too different to the Mun or Kerbin.

I do wonder if two large moons could really exist so close together around a planet the size of Kerbin for very long without Minus being thrown out by the Mun's gravity?

[astropapi1]

I do wonder if two large moons could really exist so close together around a planet the size of Kerbin for very long without Minus being thrown out by the Mun's gravity?

Or crashed into Kerbin, whatever happens first.

Here's two of the surface samples for Minmus:

[spoiler=]MinmusSrfLanded = The surface seems to consist of tiny crystal-like grains, very pretty. Probably not edible.

MinmusSrfLanded = You sneak a taste of the surface sample... nope it definitely is not made of delicious dessert products.

We're sure it's not of ice cream then. The first result suggest something grainy. Salt chunks, perhaps?