Pol
Pol is one of the five natural satellites of Jool. Pol is in a large orbit, with moderate eccentricity and inclination, which indicates it may be a captured asteroid. The terrain is (proportionally) quite rough, with large ridges that make it resemble a pollen grain. The tallest mountains are very roughly 3-4 km high. The moon is easy to land on due to its extremely low gravity, which makes bipropellant engines somewhat redundant - landing can be completed with RCS thrusters only. Pol is tidally locked with its parent, Jool.Like Gilly,Bop,and Ike, Pol is a Captured Asteroid.
Topography
Pol has many unique characteristics. For one, it has many spiked mountains and very large cliffs that can reach up to 4km high. Its surface appears to be composed of various phosphoric compounds and is covered in peculiar spire-shaped rocks. Pol has the second-lowest surface gravity in the Kerbol system, and only Eve's moon Gilly is less massive. Pol has a very inclined orbit, and it is the furthest body away from Jool, suggesting that it is a captured asteroid. Because of its low gravity, Pol has a rough and uneven surface that resembles a deliciously moldy orange.
Reference Frames
Rotational/Inertial transition: 100,000 m
| Warp | Minimum Altitude | |
|---|---|---|
| 1x | 0 m | |
| 5x | 5,000 m | |
| 10x | 5,000 m | |
| 50x | 5,000 m | |
| 100x | 8,000 m | |
| 1,000x | 12,000 m | |
| 10,000x | 30,000 m | |
| 100,000x | 90,000 m | |
An orbit under 30000 meters(30 kilometers), is unwise, as it will almost always result in colliding with a mountain, spire, or plateau.
Surface Texture
The surface of Pol is wrinkled and uneven, as a result of low gravity. Many mountain ranges are circular, and form a bowl shaped valley. This suggests that there is semi-volcanic activity. A rover is hard to drive on the surface of Pol because of the uneven terrain and low gravity.
Gallery
A successful landing on the second lowest gravitational body in the Kerbol System: Pol.
The second picture of the Zephyrius Lander on the opposing side of Pol.
Lenemy having fun in Pol's outrageously low gravity.
A topographic height map of Pol as at Version 0.18.1 made with the ISA MapSat plugin
- Screenshot101.png
A Pol-A.R. Probe falling of a nearly vertical hill.
- Screenshot120.png
A Pol-A.R. V2 Probe that landed on the edge of a ridge.
Changes
- Mass increased by ~3.16x, semi-major axis increased.
- Initial Release
Trivia
- Pol's name is likely derived from its uncanny resemblance to a grain of pollen.
- Pol's Greenish-orange appearance may come from copper, various ices, phosphorous, iron, arsenic, and carbon.
- Pol's name may or may not have anything to do with the T.V. show The incredible Dr.Pol on the National Geographic channel
Notes
