From observing cloud rotation, wind speeds are estimated to vary between 470 and 530 m/s. Sarnus' zones and belts as seen from orbitĬolored zones (lighter-hued) and belts (darker-hued) in the atmosphere indicate zonal winds, similar to those on Jool. The core may be magnetically charged and the water ice crystals in the upper atmosphere would have the capability to hold an electrical charge - although lightning on Sarnus would likely be a hundred times more powerful than on Kerbin. The presence of a magnetic field, metallic core, and water clouds may indicate the possibility of widespread lighting storms. This is due to the lower gravity and slightly lower pressure in Sarnus' atmosphere. While Sarnus and Jool are both likely composed of Hydrogen and Helium, Sarnus' atmosphere extends much farther than Jool's. Magnetometer readings tend to be distorted by the rings around the equatorial region, however strong radio signals are picked up from the poles which further indicates a metallic core and a large magnetosphere.Ĭomparison of Pressure and Altitude of Jool and Sarnus Emission and Absorption spectra indicate a form of Argon may be responsible for the planet's red color, and clouds in the uppermost layers have been recorded to be composed of water and ammonia. From density data, it is possible to estimate the interior structure: 3,604 kilometers of Helium-saturated Hydrogen that slowly compresses into a liquid form 1,166 kilometers of liquid, metallic hydrogen and an iron or metallic core with a radius of 530 kilometers. These gases may be formed over a liquid hydrogen or metallic, molten core. From the weight of the air, it's possible to estimate (however, unconfirmed) the composition: 75% Hydrogen, 24.3% Helium, and 0.7% Argon with traces of water ice and ammonia, among other gases. Sarnus' air has a molecular weight of 2.8 g/mol, and its adiabatic index is 0.0028. You could also use parachutes in Sarnus' atmosphere to slow your spacecraft down. The margins for error are extremely small. The required periapsis altitude depends on the spacecraft's drag characteristics and its approach velocity. A successful aerocapture requires a properly designed spacecraft, with a large ablator mass and a low ballistic coefficient, and precise periapsis targeting. The second warming begins around 280 km, where it increases from 85 K to 105 K at the edge of the atmosphere (304 km).įrom these temperature readings, it is possible to speculate that Sarnus' atmosphere is composed of layers - a Troposphere from 0 to 70 km, a Stratosphere from 70 - 170 km, a Mesosphere from 170 - 280 km, and a Thermosphere from 280 - 450 km.Īerobraking into Sarnus orbit from a high-speed interplanetary intercept is possible but it is very difficult to achieve due to rapid and often destructive aerodynamic heating. The following table gives the atmospheric pressure at various altitudes above the datum level.Īltitude and temperature with atmospheric layers (outdated)Īir temperatures decrease as altitude increases up to an elevation of around 70 km, where a "warm pocket" is found - the temperature increases to around 123 K until an altitude of 170 km before beginning to fall again. The pressure-altitude profile is globally constant and independent of temperature. Like all other atmospheres in the game, Sarnus' atmosphere fades exponentially as altitude increases. At an altitude of around 140,000 meters on Sarnus, the atmospheric pressure is the same as at sea level on Kerbin (1 atm). Compared to the atmosphere of Kerbin, Sarnus' atmosphere has 14 times the surface pressure, and 8 times the depth. Sarnus has an extremely dense, cold atmosphere with a datum level pressure of about 14 atmospheres and a depth of 580,000 meters. Regular cleaning of telescope lenses became mandatory after that. When they cleaned their telescopes, they realized that those extra planets were in fact thin rings orbiting Sarnus.
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