Realmspace Astronomy - The Atmosphere of Coliar
This is part 2 of a 2-post series that started here, as a result of a very interesting discussion with Lhynard and Moviesign about the gravity and composition of Coliar.
Coliar is a gas giant. As a size G spherical air body, it is about the size of Jupiter. How then could it have an Earth-like gravity and even be inhabitable all the way to its core? Jupiter has an enormous mass and an equally enormous gravity. Moreover, it has a very narrow range of altitudes at which the pressure allows for the survival of humanoids. Below that, its crushing pressures mean certain death to all but the sturdiest of xorns.
The easy to tackle question regards Coliar's gravity. From the previous post, one surmises that a G-sized air body would have a surface gr…
Realmspace Astronomy - Gravity of Planets by Composition
This is part 1 of 2-post series that is the result of a very interesting discussion with Lhynard and Moviesign on a realistic way to calculate the gravity of celestial bodies based on their size and elemental composition.
In Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space, it is stated that all celestial bodies have a gravity of 1 "Earth" gravity, regardless of size and composition. What if one wants to do better? Say, only spelljammers have a gravity of 1 g as an effect of the magic of their Spelljamming helms, but planets and other celestial objects are subject to the laws of Physics. How to proceed?
The following is a very basic estimate of how this calculation could be carried out, with the results organized on a table for easy reference to the rea…
Realmspace astronomy - Orbital periods and distances
Lately I haven't been able to contribute to the wiki as often as I'd like. Real life concerns tend to be… distracting sometimes.
But with a bit of free time available, I decided to write up a more detailed analysis of the astronomical properties of Realmspace. As a theoretical physicist specialized in gravitational physics and currently teaching Astronomy, I feel it is quite tempting to try to make some "early-astronomy" sense of the several celestial bodies and their movements in wildspace.
This is a follow-up on a recent discussion with Lhynard about the possible distance of the Color Spray Nebula from the sun. As far as I know, it is not stated in any official sources, but, as in the case of Neptune and Uranus in Earth's crystal sphere, m…