Minmus spot in the sky?

[p14082003]

Help me figure this out!

i was testing my new SSTO and I saw something more shiny than a star beside the moon.

I didn't know what it was, so i went to the map and saw this:

Is what i saw minmus? i know my question sounds pretty stupid, but i didn't know Ksp could render such distant objects. what do you think?

[Baconation]

Duna shows up actually as a one pixel object in the sky. I had some screenshots somewhere showing it all. Minmus is pretty visible from Kerbin, but Duna, that's a one pixel object that IS visible from Kerbin if you look hard enough

[GreeningGalaxy]

Yep!

I recommend the Distant Object Enhancement mod, too - it makes all the other planets show up as bright dots in the sky, as well as other vessels that are close enough to be seen. It really adds to the experience.

[viktor19]

Jool aswell is able to be seen "with a naked eye"

Here's mine taken in July.

[WWEdeadman]

Yes, Minmus is visible in the sky from Kerbin, even in Stock. With Distant Object Enhancement it gets even better. (You literally see every single planet and some of the moons with that.)

[RocketPilot573]

Several planets are visible as just a few pixels in the stock game.

[klesh]

+1 for Distant Object Enhancement mod. I recently put some camera mods in my build, and between the two mods was able to see these planets rendered from incredible distances through the lenses of the cameras (millions of kms). Some of the most fun I have had in the game so far.

[GigaG]

I've seen Minmus plenty - it seems a few pixels wide to me. I've never seen Duna or Jool though, or any other object in the sky without Distant Object Enhancement or a telescope mod (I have heard you can use cockpit zoom as "telescopes", though.)

On another note, I've seen Jool and Eeelo quite close together in their orbits (Eeloo was near its periapsis and it was near or inside Jool's orbit and Jool was nearby - don't know when, but it has to be in a reasonable amount of years since game start) and I'm not sure if I could see Jool from Eeloo when I zoomed in in Tracking (the stupid labels got in the way.) I wonder if you could clearly see Jool from Eeloo at that point. Or if you could see Eeloo from Jool. What about Jool's moons from Eeloo? That would be great. Maybe I'll bring a special "telescope module" using a cupola or cockpit for my first Eeloo mission when I do it.

If Jool and Duna are visible from Kerbin, certainly Eve is too? Just a random guess.

Yet another note - Has anybody ever spotted "transits" across Kerbol that do not involve the large moons or planets from a moon? Maybe a Minmus transit, or even a Gilly transit from Eve? What about transits of Eve? (You'd probably have to use the edge of your screen to view it because of the bright "flare" effect that you get looking at Kerbol, but I guess you wouldn't be staring at the sun IRL to see a transit.) What about a transit of Jool from Eeloo (assuming the ascending/descending nodes are positioned decently for such an event.)

Edited January 13, 2015 by GigaG

[dryer_lint]

Minmus is actually pretty easy to see. It tends to... "vibrate" a bit?

[samstarman5]

I've been able to spot out Minmus from Kerbin ground and orbit no problem. I love to use the kerbals' telescopic superpower to zoom in on it and see it floating against the sky. It looks so tiny and alone like that, I just want to give it a hug!

[p14082003]

Thanks for so many replyings! I'll check D.O.E. mod

[Tw1]

I remember a long time ago, when I didn't realise it was Minmus or one of the planets, and I tried to chase the spot in my plane.

Thinking about it, that's probably how SSTO planes were invented.

[UnusualAttitude]

Hi,

Is this what people mean by "telescopic" view from IVA...? I took these screenshots from a ship leaving Kerbin's SOI heading to Eve. The object I spotted cannot be Minmus, or anything else from the Kerbin system (as they would be behind the ship at this point). The nearest thing, judging from the map view (sorry, didn't take a screenshot) is Moho, but it seems to be too far from Kerbol to me. A mystery unknown easter egg planet, maybe ? Sorry if this sounds silly, but I've just discovered this feature after reading this thread...

[impwarhamer]

well, it's a planet thats for sure

[impyre]

I doubt it's a planet you're looking at (it's possible I suppose, but the evidence suggests otherwise). Based on your description as having "just left kerbin's soi", I'd say it's most likely an asteroid. The crazy inclination also suggests this (if it were a planet far enough away to appear like a dot, it would have to have quite a large inclination), as asteroids purposely come at kerbin from many different angles.

[Slam_Jones]

HullCam provides a number of cameras, which include a very zoomable telescope. With the proper set-up (and viewing from Kerbin surface so there's no skybox "noise") you can spot Jool and it's moons. You have to keep the camera moving (slowly and smoothly) to keep it in view, but it's totally possible.

This is without any distant object enhancment mods, either. Theoretically, you might be able to spot it without a telescope (tho it's unlikely)

I recommend using HullCamVDS (for the telescope piece) and Infernal Robotics (for the hinges and rotors to smoothly move the telescope view). Best time to look is during the morning/evening, before the skybox pops up. Once the skybox is up, the planets can very easily be lost in the background.

(If you open this pic in another tab and zoom in, you can see 3 of Jool's moons as well )

Edited March 16, 2015 by Slam_Jones
Details n grammar

[Tex_NL]

... The crazy inclination also suggests this ...

Actually there is very little inclination. You're assuming the galactic plane is level with UnusualAttitude's view point but it isn't. Especially in his second image you can clearly see a foggy band tilted slightly counter clockwise from vertical. This band is the galactic plane. The planet spotted by UnusualAttitude is right in the middle of it.

[Deadpangod3]

I doubt it's a planet you're looking at (it's possible I suppose, but the evidence suggests otherwise). Based on your description as having "just left kerbin's soi", I'd say it's most likely an asteroid. The crazy inclination also suggests this (if it were a planet far enough away to appear like a dot, it would have to have quite a large inclination), as asteroids purposely come at kerbin from many different angles.

however, asteroids are considered "ships" and therfore do not render unless you get within 2.5 km, and the fact that it apears BLACK makes me think its either an easter egg orbiting kerbin thats never been discovered, in that case, wooooooo! \o/ or, its Moho. and we're seeing the dark side mostly, the little part facing the sun that doesnt make it a perfect sphere looks like part of Moho or Eve. it apears MAYBE too far from Kerbol, but i may be wrong, so id say its either Moho or Eve.

[p14082003]

All really interesting theories! I like the idea of a secret planet!

Edited May 20, 2015 by p14082003

[Rithsom]

Eve is quite visible without the use of mods. This picture was taken from the small lander can IVA view:

[zarakon]

Go to cockpit view

Double-click on a window for some zoom

Mousewheel scroll for more zoom