Space Engine - Blog Posts
Vernier System - Post 2 (Third Planet and its moons)
Here we come across the system’s third planet, a Jupiter-Sized gas giant 1.18 Jupiter Masses orbiting the two suns at an average distance of 2.33 AU. Four massive moon’s all with atmospheres orbit’s the giant. The planet has a very faint ring system in orbit.
High Resolution Pic of the 3rd Planet
Note, the large red nebula in the background NGC 604, one of the largest know nebulas. The Vernier System is located 4,600 light years from the nebula. From here NGC 604 covers over 16 arc degrees of the sky (36 Full-moons), and shines with an average magnitude of -1.91.
The first moon is barren with a surface covered in craters and gray-colored regolith. It is 3.4 lunar masses, with a radius of 2,603.31 km. A thin sulfur dioxide atmosphere clings to the surface. The atmosphere has a very low surface pressure of 0.0001 atmosphere’s. The moon still appears to be volcanically active.
High Resolution Pic of the 1st moon
The second moon has 4 lunar masses with a radius of 2,956.36 kilometers. It’s surface is more geologically diverse with larger quantities of iron oxide. It is more Mars-like than Lunar-like. A sulfur dioxide atmosphere also covers the surface, but is thicker with a surface pressure of 0.017 atmospheres, or roughly just under 3 times thicker than the atmosphere of Mars.
High Resolution Pic of the 2nd moon
The third satellite is by far the largest, and is an Earth-sized moon with a mass of 0.56 Earth’s and a radius 93% that of Earth. It has a thick carbon dioxide-ammonia atmosphere, with a surface pressure 3.48 times that of Earth. Weather is very active on the surface, and the temperature averaging 230 K (-45 °F) supports liquid sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide rain is also common on the surface. The satellite also appears to have a magnetic field.
High Resolution Pic of the 3rd moon
The fourth moon is a second largest with a mass of 0.07 times that of Earth and a radius of 3,274.23 kilometers. It also has a thin sulfur dioxide atmosphere, and sulfur dioxide ice-caps. The atmosphere is 0.017 atmosphere’s thick.
High Resolution Pic of the 4th moon
The System Tag for this system in Spaceengine is RS 1229-169-6-235375-219.
Triangulum Log - Vernier System.
We’ve gone deeper into the Triangulum System and come across this binary system. The system consists of a hot F-Type Star 3.1 times brighter than our sun, orbited by a much less luminous K-Type Star only a fifth the brightness of our sun. The system has 6 planet’s including the most earth-like planet I’ve come across yet.
The Inner-most planet is a warm Ice-Giant with 53 earth masses and atmosphere temperatures of 378 K or 221 °F, orbiting the common center of mass of the two suns at a distance of 0.78 AU. The atmosphere of the planet is extremely turbulent under the intense sun-light. Wind speeds reach up to 1,100 kilometers per hour and cyclonic systems churn across the equator.
The second planet is Earth-like planet roughly 0.20 Earth masses, and radius 0.60 times that of Earth. Liquid water oceans cover a small portion of the surface. The planet is more desert-like than Earth, with water covering less than 15% of the surface. The atmosphere has only 0.15 atmosphere’s of pressure and has an unusual composition. Carbon dioxide comprises 84.4% of the atmosphere mixed with 13.1% Acetylene and 1.3% sulfur dioxide. The acetylene is stable in the atmosphere due to there being no oxygen; however, ultraviolet light natural breaks the compound down, forming Tholins in the atmosphere, giving the atmosphere a thick haze. Surface temperatures average 320 K or 116 °F. The planet has no polar ice-caps and orbits 1.25 AU from the stars. Several asteroid-sized moons orbit the planet along with larger rounded satellite that has a radios of 374 km.
High Resolution Pictures.
Picture 1 - Two Suns and a Giant
Picture 2 - Inner-Most Ice Giant
Picture 3 - White and Orange Suns over stormy skies
Picture 4 - Jewel of the System - Earth-like World
Picture 5 - Desert-world with some seas
Picture 6 - Hazy Atmosphere
Picture 7 - Planet’s Surface
Picture 8 - Different Layers of the atmosphere.
Picture 9 - Planet’s small moon.
Picture 10 - Sun’s setting on the lunar surface.
Triangulum Log - Blue Veil System - Post 3 (Lunar Skies)
Many of the system’s gas giants have large satellites with significant atmosphere’s. Here are some of the best views of the skies of these moons.
High Resolution Pics
Image 1 - The Great Eye in the sky
Image 2 - Double Sunset
Image 3 - Lunar Desert
Image 4 - Tranquility
Image 5 - Cold Distant Giant
Triangulum Log - Blue Veil System - Post 2 (Inner Giants)
The inner two planets of the system, a hot ice giant and warm gas giant.
The inner planet orbits 0.16 AU from the sun, has a mass 12 times that of Earth and an average atmospheric temperature of 813° F.
The second world is a Saturn-like gas giant with an impressive ring system. It orbits 0.64 AU from the sun, has a mass of 82 Earths, and a single large satellite orbiting it.
High Resolution Images
Image 1 - Inner-most Planet (Hot Ice Giant)
Image 2 - Two Suns in the sky
Image 3 - Stunning Rings
Image 4 - Giant in the sky
Image 5 - Lone Companion
Image 6 - Twin suns against the rings
Triangulum Log - Blue Veil System (Post 1) - Introduction
I’ve gone deeper into the Triangulum Galaxy, traveling almost 20,000 light years around the perimeter of the galaxy and coming across this binary orange dwarf system that has 10 planets. The system is next to a blue/teal colored nebula, and lies within an outer arm of the Triangulum galaxy. You may notice there are more stars in the sky compared to the last 2 systems.
High Resolution Pics
Image 1 - Tranquility
Image 2 - Twin Suns
Image 3 - Lunar Sunrise
Image 4 - Calm Giant
Triangulum Log - Post 6 - Vista System (A Parting Recap)
Last shots of the system’s 5 largest worlds before continuing my adventures in Triangulum. I am now off to find another star system to explore.
High Resolution Pics
Image 1 - Inner Dwarf Planet
Image 2 - Planet 1 - Hot Ice Giant
Image 3 - Planet 2 - Rocky World
Image 4 - Planet 3 - Large Gas Giant
Image 5 - Planet 4 - Super Earth with satellite.
Triangulum Log - Post 5 - The Vista System (Planet 4)
The Vista System’s 4th and outermost planet. This dry cold desert world orbits 1.45 AU from the sun. It is the system’s only super-earth type planet with a mass of 4.37 times that of Earth, and a diameter of 11,656 kilometers (1.82 Earth’s). It is surrounded by a dark-gray ring system, likely a shattered satellite that got too close. The atmosphere is thin and dry, composed primarily of carbon dioxide and smaller quantities of ammonia and methane. The surface is cold with a global average temperature of -94° F
A single large satellite orbits close to the planet. The moon has a radius of 1,091 kilometers and a mass one-quarter that of Earth’s moon.
High Resolution Pics
Image 1 - Planet 4
Image 2 - Dusty world
Image 3 - The wastelands
Image 4 - Endless Sand
Image 5 - A glimpse of home. The Milky Way, and Magellanic Cloud Galaxies.
Image 6 - Faint rings
Image 7 - The Lone companion
Image 8 - Dead world
Image 9 - Conjunction
Image 10 - Pre-eclipse
Triangulum Log - Post 5 - Vista System (Planet 3)
Our journey of the Vista System now takes us to the third and largest planet in the system. This gas giant has 1.14 times the mass of Jupiter and a mean radius of 73,934 kilometers. It is much warmer than Jupiter at -41° F versus Jupiter’s -163° F, and as a result has extremely active weather patterns and a stormy atmosphere. Cloud decks are composed primarily of water-ice crystals.
The planet orbits 0.88 astronomical units from the sun, has an extensive ring system composed of silicate-rich materials, and a single large satellite. The planet’s satellite has a radius of 1,360.71 kilometers and a mass roughly 70% that of our moon. It has an average density of 4.82 g/cm³, indicating a large metal-rich core region.
Links to High Resolution Pics
Image 1 - A Giant and her rings.
Image 2 - Beautiful faint ring system.
Image 3 - Stormy Skies
Image 4 - Ring Shepard.
Image 5 - Andromeda Photobombs the rings. (High Exposure Shot)
Image 6 -Battered moon.
Image 7 - David and Goliath
Image 8 - High and Seek
Image 9 - Parting Ways
Triangulum Log - Post 4 - Vista System (Planet 2)
Here we come across the system’s second planet, a warm desert world. This rocky world orbits 0.41 AU from the sun and has a mass roughly one fifth that of Earth. It is a hot world covered in a thin Carbon Dioxide/ Sulfur Dioxide atmosphere with one tenth the atmospheric pressure of Earth. The planet is tidally locked to the sun and has an average surface temperature of 231° F on the day-side.
High Resolution Pics
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
Image 6
Triangulum Log - Post 4 - The Vista System (First Planet)
Top image shows the Andromeda Galaxy rising above the inner-most dwarf planet. From here, the great spiral galaxy covers over 11 degrees of the sky or almost 22 times larger than a full moon on Earth.
Other three images show the inner-most planet, a large ice giant 50 times the mass of Earth orbiting 0.30 AU from the sun.
In the last shot, each of the small stars in the background are actually large bright asteroids in the systems asteroid belt.
High Resolution Links Below
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Triangulum Log - Post 3 - The Vista System
We’ve moved away from the last system and traveled nearly 13,000 light years to another system on the edge of Triangulum.
Here we come across a system which I have called the Vista system, due to some of the stunning views of gas giants and their moons.
This system is configured rather unusually, in that the asteroid belt forms the inner-most part of the system, orbiting close to the star with a single dwarf planet orbiting within. Above are pics of the inner-most dwarf planet.
This moon-sized world orbits 0.13 AU from the sun, with a scorching surface temperature of 760°.
More pics of worlds in this system to come.
Links to high resolution pics above.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Triangulum Log - Post 2 - The Outskirts
More pics of the system. Notice the lack of stars in the background. The system being a runaway star, is quickly escaping the galaxy. The nearest stars are more than 1,000 light years away. Interesting enough in this system, while the major planets orbit the system’s common center of mass, a dense asteroid belt and 3 dwarf planets directly orbit the system’s black hole. The dwarf planets and asteroids likely formed out of some of the remaining debris from the supernova that created the black hole.
The last two pics are a massive red moon orbiting the systems 7th planet. The moon has a very Mars-like feel to it.
Triangulum Log - Post 1 - The Outskirts.
My first adventure brings us to this Yellow Super Giant and companion black hole. The system is young and filled with many gas giants that still glow with the heat of their formation.
All of the planets orbit far from the star, the nearest having a orbital radius of 10.57 AU. Numerous planets are also double planets including a double Jupiter as shown above.
More pics of this system and my thoughts on if this system could actually exist in the real universe to come.
My first posts will be from systems located within the Triangulum Galaxy. The above 3 images were taken from Space Engine of the galaxy. The background galaxy in the images is Andromeda.
For those of you that are not familiar with the Triangulum Galaxy, it is the third largest member of the local group, sometimes considered a satellite galaxy of Andromeda. The galaxy is also known as M33, NGC 598 or the Pinwheel Galaxy. Approximately 40 billion stars reside within this spiral galaxy. It is believed that the galaxy lacks a central supermassive black hole and central halo.
Wikipedia link below.
Triangulum Galaxy
First Post.
A low sun on a Mars-like planet overlooking a large canyon.