#insight system

Picture of the day - December 12, 2018

Picture of the day - December 26, 2018

Insight A System - Ninth Planet (Insight A-IX)

Insight A-IX is the Insight A systems second largest and second most massive planet. It is an ice giant 17.40 times more massive than Earth, and has a radius of 3.28 Earth Radii. The planet is surrounded by a narrow yet well structured ring system, and a system of 6 small ellipsoidal satellites.

The planet orbits it’s sun at an average distance of 7.34 AU, completing 1 orbit every 18.35 Years. A day on the planet lasts just 9 hours and 6 minutes. The planet has a thick hydrogen/ helium atmosphere, and has an average atmospheric temperature of -279 F.

High Resolution Pictures

Insight A-IX

Small moon

Narrow Rings

Ring Closeup

Pictures of the day - December 22, 2018

Insight System - Sixth Planet (Insight A-VI)

Insight A-Vi is an Earth-like water-world with a surface completely covered in oceans. The planet has a mass of 0.65 Earths and a diameter 0.97 times that of our planet. An extensive ring system surrounds the planet and the oceans contain simple signed-celled life.

The planet orbits at an average distance of 1.10 AU and a day on the surface lasts 18 hours and 31 minutes. Compared to the inner-worlds, Insight A-VI is rather cold with an average global temperature of 41 F. Still the oceans absorb enough heat that there are no ice caps at the poles, since ocean currents keep the water from freezing.

Note the inner two planets have comet like appearance from their atmospheres being strip away by the sun.

High Resolution Pictures

Insight A-VI

Three small moons

Rings

The sun and inner planets

Sunset

Picture of the day - December 11, 2018

Pictures of the day - December 20, 2018

Insight A - Fifth Planet (Insight A-V)

Insight A-V is a hot earth-like planet with oceans. The planet does support marine life, but the surface is far too inhospitable for anything other than Extremophiles. The planet is much smaller and less massive than Earth at 0.14 Earth masses and a diameter roughly half that of Earth. The surface is very active with a hot atmosphere. The surface averages 161 F, with an atmosphere only 54% as thick of Earth’s that is dominated by carbon dioxide. The surface is so hot that there are no ice caps or even snow on mountain-tops.

The planet rotates backwards with an axial tilt of 148 degrees and a rotational rate of 24 hours and 21 minutes. No moons orbit the planet.

High Resolution Pictures

Insight A-V

Earth-Like World

Cyclone

The Surface

Pictures of the day - December 16, 2018

Insight A System - 3rd Planet (Insight A-III)

Insight A-III is the third planet orbiting Insight A. It is a hot Ice-giant orbiting it’s sun at an average distance of 0.12 AU. The planet’s atmosphere has a temperature of 960 F and it’s atmosphere lacks any type of define cloud decks. This is a helium ice giant, meaning that it has lost all of it’s hydrogen and the atmosphere is dominated by helium instead. As a result, the planet has a monochromatic color.

Insight A-III has a mass of 13.22 Earths, and a diameter of 4.03 times that of Earth. The planet is tidally locked to it’s sun and orbits the sun once every 14.76 Earth days.

High Resolution Pictures

Insight A-III

Lunar View

Asteroid Moon

Pictures of the Day - December 14, 2018

Insight A System - Inner-Most Planet (Insight A-I)

The Inner-most planet is a baked world orbiting perilously close to its sun at a distance of just 0.04 AU. The planet has a mass of roughly 0.56 Earth Masses and a diameter 93% that of Earth. It is rocky desert world. A thick carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide atmosphere covers the surface with an atmospheric pressure 10 times that of Earth.

Surface temperatures are extreme, reaching 1,800 F during the day.  At these temperatures some surface rocks melt into lakes of magma and the surface glows a dull red at night. The atmosphere also contains clouds composed of liquid glass droplets. Despite it’s close orbital proximity to the sun, it is not tidally locked. The planet has a moderately elliptical orbit with an eccentricity of 0.10. This results in a 3 to 2 orbit to spin resonance. In other words the planet completes three rotations for every 2 orbits, just like the planet Mercury.

BTW Everyone, it looks like Space Engine version 0.999 is probably going to be released sometime soon, probably before the end of the year. Can’t wait to start taking pics in it.

High Resolution Pictures

Insight A-I

From a Glowing Asteroid Moon

Atmospheric Glow

Picture of the day 2 - December 21, 2018