Interstellar Planet
Cosmic Voyager
A few months ago I started working on an update for my Kepler-62 System add-on. I felt like I had learned a few things about Orbiter and exoplanets since I created the original add-on, and I wanted to make it more realistic. However, I got carried away and pretty much redid everything.
The main planets that I redid were Kepler-62d, e, and f. (They are 1.95, 1.61, and 1.41 times the size of Earth, respectively and none of their masses are known.) In the original add-on I created them as rocky planets with atmospheres not that much thicker than Earth's. However, this could be pretty unlikely. Many planets in that size range may actually be mini-Neptunes (See this article.)
I read that another possibility is that some planets in that size range could be water planets. They would have smaller rocky cores surrounded by ice, water, and possibly water vapor if they have high temperatures. I thought that is much more interesting, so I created Kepler-62e and f as water planets. Kepler-62e is now basically a watery mini-Neptune and Kepler-62f is a habitable planet with a global ocean hundreds of kilometers deep. For contrast, I created Kepler-62d as a hydrogen and helium-rich mini-Neptune. To me, it seems plausible that Kepler-62d would have a different composition than e and f because it is so much closer to the star.
Below are some screenshots of the planets:
Kepler-62b
A tidally locked planet with a reddish tinge due to the high temperature.
Kepler-62c
Similar to Mercury except a little bigger.
Kepler-62d
A mini-Neptune planet with super-rotating winds.
Kepler-62e
The planet suffered from a massive runaway greenhouse effect and all the water boiled, forming a "soupy" atmosphere. In the original add-on, it was a rocky planet with a base on it. In this new version, I moved the base to its hypothetical moon instead.
Kepler-62f
Kepler-62f is a habitable water planet. In the original add-on it was a rocky planet with a global ocean rather than an actual "water world." It looks basically the same now except that its density and mass are much lower. I also added giant blooms of alien algae to make it more interesting.
Like the original add-on, I also added three small, hypothetical moons, one around Kepler-62e and two around Kepler-62f. The add-on also has two bases, one on Kepler-62f and another on Kepler-62e's moon.
I just have to add a few finishing touches, write the manual, and package it. I'm hoping to release it on the Hangar on Tuesday.
The main planets that I redid were Kepler-62d, e, and f. (They are 1.95, 1.61, and 1.41 times the size of Earth, respectively and none of their masses are known.) In the original add-on I created them as rocky planets with atmospheres not that much thicker than Earth's. However, this could be pretty unlikely. Many planets in that size range may actually be mini-Neptunes (See this article.)
I read that another possibility is that some planets in that size range could be water planets. They would have smaller rocky cores surrounded by ice, water, and possibly water vapor if they have high temperatures. I thought that is much more interesting, so I created Kepler-62e and f as water planets. Kepler-62e is now basically a watery mini-Neptune and Kepler-62f is a habitable planet with a global ocean hundreds of kilometers deep. For contrast, I created Kepler-62d as a hydrogen and helium-rich mini-Neptune. To me, it seems plausible that Kepler-62d would have a different composition than e and f because it is so much closer to the star.
Below are some screenshots of the planets:
Kepler-62b
A tidally locked planet with a reddish tinge due to the high temperature.
Kepler-62c
Similar to Mercury except a little bigger.
Kepler-62d
A mini-Neptune planet with super-rotating winds.
Kepler-62e
The planet suffered from a massive runaway greenhouse effect and all the water boiled, forming a "soupy" atmosphere. In the original add-on, it was a rocky planet with a base on it. In this new version, I moved the base to its hypothetical moon instead.
Kepler-62f
Kepler-62f is a habitable water planet. In the original add-on it was a rocky planet with a global ocean rather than an actual "water world." It looks basically the same now except that its density and mass are much lower. I also added giant blooms of alien algae to make it more interesting.
Like the original add-on, I also added three small, hypothetical moons, one around Kepler-62e and two around Kepler-62f. The add-on also has two bases, one on Kepler-62f and another on Kepler-62e's moon.
I just have to add a few finishing touches, write the manual, and package it. I'm hoping to release it on the Hangar on Tuesday.
