Difference between revisions of "Tylo"

Revision as of 03:46, 6 November 2015

Tylo
Tylo as seen from orbit.
Moon of Jool
Orbital Characteristics
Semi-major axis		68 500 000 m [Note 1]
Apoapsis		68 500 000 m [Note 1]
Periapsis		68 500 000 m [Note 1]
Orbital eccentricity		0
Orbital inclination		0.025 °
Argument of periapsis		0 °
Longitude of the ascending node		0 °
Mean anomaly		3.14 rad (at 0s UT)
Sidereal orbital period		211 926 s
		9 d 4 h 52 m 6.4 s
Synodic orbital period		212 356.4 s
Orbital velocity		2 031 m/s
Longest time eclipsed		5 917 s
Physical Characteristics
Equatorial radius		600 000 m
Equatorial circumference		3 769 911 m
Surface area		4.5238934×1012 m2
Mass		4.2332127×1022 kg
Standard gravitational parameter		2.8252800×1012 m3/s2
Density		46 787.273 kg/m3
Surface gravity		7.85 m/s2 (0.8 g)
Escape velocity		3 068.81 m/s
Sidereal rotation period		211 926.36 s
		9 d 4 h 52 m 6.4 s
Sidereal rotational velocity		17.789 m/s
Synchronous orbit		Outside sphere of influence
Sphere of influence		10 856 518 m [Note 1]
Atmospheric Characteristics
Atmosphere present		No
Scientific multiplier
Surface		12
Splashed		N/A
Near space		10
Outer space		8
Recovery		8
↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The distances are given from the body's center, not from the surface (unlike ingame)

Tylo is the third moon of Jool. It is the largest of Jool's five moons, the largest moon in the entire Kerbol System, and the largest celestial body without an atmosphere. It is Kerbal Space Program's analog for Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter. It is, in fact, the diameter of Kerbin!

Landing on Tylo is extremely challenging. Its gravity is similar to Kerbin's, but aerobraking is impossible, since there is no atmosphere. However, due to its large gravity well, Tylo is an ideal target for a gravity assist to enter or leave the Jool system safely and with minimal fuel consumption.

Having a spacecraft orbiting very close to the surface can give you orbit periods of about 29 minutes going about 2,170 m/s. Like the other large Joolian moons, Tylo is tidally locked. Synchronous orbits around Tylo are not possible, as they would lie outside of its SOI, at a radius of 14,758,067 meters.

According to former developer NovaSilisko, Tylo was planned to possibly be made into a high-contrasting body like Iapetus.^[1]

In-game Description

Topography

Tylo has a rocky surface. It has a varying elevation between 0 meters (Tylo baseline height) and peaks of more than 11290 meters. Tylo's surface looks similar to that of Mün, but has much fewer impact craters (especially on the side facing away from Jool) and is more uneven.

Due to the coloring of the surface of Tylo, it is likely that it is covered in a rhyolite layer of rock, nickel, a little cobalt, some sort of ice and dust, spread by meteorite impacts, but as there is no official way to determine the composition of the moon this is only hypothetical. This explains why Tylo has a rather bright and white surface.

Because it is very large in comparison to other moons, it is unlikely that it is a captured planet. For a planet of this size, Jool would have to be much larger and denser to produce a large and strong enough gravitational well. It is unknown why Tylo hasn't formed an atmosphere.

Because of its high gravity and lack of an atmosphere, Tylo is very hard to land on and reach orbit from. However, low altitude orbits at high speeds can be achieved for these same reasons.

Biomes

Tylo has 8 biomes. Three "Major Craters" are shown in different colors in debug view, but appear to be the same biome. It is unknown, if this is a bug or was simply overlooked by Squad.

Biome list

Tylo In-game biome map as of 1.2

Highlands Midlands Lowlands Mara Minor Craters Major Crater (3×)

Science

Tylo has the second-highest science multipliers in the game. The only orbit with a higher multiplier is the sun and the only surface with a better multiplier is that of Eve. Unfortunately Tylo has no atmosphere, which means that there is one less zone to conduct experiments in and that some experiments do not work at all. That means that it is only the second most science-rich Joolean moon after Laythe.

Reference Frames

Trivia

• Kerbin has the same equatorial radius as Tylo (600,000m) yet Tylo's surface gravity is much lower than Kerbin. This is most likely because Tylo is composed of low density matter.
• There are two known Easter eggs on Tylo.

Gallery

• 

  Topographical map of Tylo.

• 
• 

  A topographic height map of Tylo made with the ISA MapSat plugin

• 

  Picture of Tylo as seen from Laythe

• 

  A Joolrise with a Laythe transit seen from a very low orbit around Tylo

• 

  A small crater on Tylo as seen from the surface

• 

  Three kerbonauts boldly going where no kerbal has gone before.

Notes

1. ↑ Post in the forum by NovaSilisko

Changes

0.90

• Added biomes

0.17

• Initial release

v t e Kerbol System Kerbol Moho Eve Kerbin Duna Dres Jool Eeloo (The Sun)   Gilly Mun Minmus Ike   Laythe Vall Tylo Bop Pol