Proxima Centauri: Part One now available for download

Michael Kilderry · Post #1by **Michael Kilderry** » 04.02.2005, 10:24

I have been mentioning this as one of my upcoming projects for awhile now. I even made a start on one of the planets a few months ago, this world was named Unterra. Although I have decided to start again on this project as I have gained a lot of knowledge with addon creation since, and Unterra's texture was very low quality. I will be remaking Unterra as one of the planets of Proxima though.

So far I've made two new worlds, the planet Kretus, based on a possible extrasolar planet discovery around Proxima, and it's moon Haperak.

Here are some pictures:

Above: Kretus, looking red in the light of Proxima Centauri.

Above: Haperak, a volcanic world of Kretus.

There will be many more planets and moons to come for this addon. Comments are welcome.

My previous addon, the Lera planetary system is currently unavailable on the Motherlode, however a finished version of this can be expected soon after I have finsihed uploading it.

Michael Kilderry

Tanketai · Post #2by **Tanketai** » 04.02.2005, 11:48

Just a thought: Maybe you shouldn't call them 'solar systems' , because 'solar' applies to our sun, Sol, and it alone. You could say 'Lera Star system' or simply 'Proxima Centauri system' :wink:

Michael Kilderry · Post #3by **Michael Kilderry** » 05.02.2005, 00:22

Tanketai wrote:Just a thought: Maybe you shouldn't call them 'solar systems' , because 'solar' applies to our sun, Sol, and it alone.

Not too sure on that, as I have heard extrasolar planetary systems being called "solar systems". Star system sounds too much like a system made up of just stars and not so much planets to me.

So what do you think of the planet and moon?

Michael Kilderry

Tanketai · Post #4by **Tanketai** » 05.02.2005, 00:43

Hearing something wrong don't make it right :wink:

Your moon, BTW, looks very nice, I would even call it 'very downloadable'

Michael Kilderry · Post #5by **Michael Kilderry** » 05.02.2005, 00:54

Tanketai wrote:Hearing something wrong don't make it right.

Who said it was wrong? I'm sure when colonisation starts in other solar systems that solar power won't start being called "Alpha Centauri power" or something like that. Anyway does it really matter?

I'm glad you like my moon. I've still got a bump map and specular texture to add to it. My current favourite is the planet though, I like it's realism.

Michael Kilderry

Tanketai · Post #6by **Tanketai** » 05.02.2005, 01:09

I guess it would be 'star power'

I'm just posting back to explain why it matters to me; I'm brazillian, I speak portuguese, and in portuguese 'solar system' seems extremely exclusive to our own system. Maybe it's because in portuguese our sun is called Sol, just like in latin. But it's okay, let's not make a big deal out of it. :wink:

Michael Kilderry · Post #7by **Michael Kilderry** » 05.02.2005, 01:18

To avoid confusion, I've decided to change the solar system bits to just "system" or "planetary system". It matters most to me in writing that people understand what I mean, and I thought "solar system" would be easier to understand, but maybe that's only me.

Michael Kilderry

Dollan · Post #8by **Dollan** » 05.02.2005, 03:14

Tanketai wrote:I guess it would be 'star power'

I'm just posting back to explain why it matters to me; I'm brazillian, I speak portuguese, and in portuguese 'solar system' seems extremely exclusive to our own system. Maybe it's because in portuguese our sun is called Sol, just like in latin. But it's okay, let's not make a big deal out of it.

Interestingly, this has come up in a couple of different forums that I frequent, of late.

The term "solar system", like "sun" or "moon", has both a general and a proper meaning. If you use "Solar System", with capitols, then you are referring to the proper label of our planetary family. If you use "solar system" without capitol letters, then you are referring to a different set of planets. For instance, it is common to say "the solar system around 55 Cancri." And, of course, saying the "55 Cancri System" refers specifically to that system of planets.

And I didn't realize that the term "Sol" was used anywhere for our Sun, but now that I think about it, and the language involved, it certainly makes perfect sense!

...John...

Spaceman Spiff · Post #9by **Spaceman Spiff** » 05.02.2005, 11:25

Hi Michael,

Lovely textures! The blending of real textures to make the gas giant Kretus look realistic but unfamiliar worked well, though it seems a bit rosy to me! I subscribe to the 'atmospheres are Rayleigh scattering and some subtle chemically coloured clouds' scheme of things.

Haperak actually works more for me. I could believe it's a hot world of salt and sulphur compounds, and the atmosphere is yellowed through sulphur 'soot' polluting the otherwise blue 'atmospheres are Rayleigh scattering and some subtle chemically coloured clouds' atmosphere

.

I think Dollan's given a good description of the use of the term 'solar system', it does have a generic side to it.

Spiff.

Michael Kilderry · Post #10by **Michael Kilderry** » 05.02.2005, 11:42

Spaceman Spiff wrote:Hi Michael,

Lovely textures! The blending of real textures to make the gas giant Kretus look realistic but unfamiliar worked well, though it seems a bit rosy to me! I subscribe to the 'atmospheres are Rayleigh scattering and some subtle chemically coloured clouds' scheme of things.

Haperak actually works more for me. I could believe it's a hot world of salt and sulphur compounds, and the atmosphere is yellowed through sulphur 'soot' polluting the otherwise blue 'atmospheres are Rayleigh scattering and some subtle chemically coloured clouds' atmosphere .

I think Dollan's given a good description of the use of the term 'solar system', it does have a generic side to it.

Spiff.

Thanks for your comments, the reason why Kretus looks "rosy" is because of the red light coming from Proxima Centauri. There are actaully no clouds on Haperak, just surface features and haze. This moon is sort of Proxima's Io.

Michael Kilderry

Sky Pilot · Post #11by **Sky Pilot** » 05.02.2005, 14:26

I can't wait to download this addon system!! Hurry up!

Michael Kilderry · Post #12by **Michael Kilderry** » 06.02.2005, 02:41

You'll have to wait, I've only just begun this addon, although I am planning on putting out unfinished beta versions for those who just aren't patient enough for the addon, and there will be many more pictures to look at in the meantime.

Michael Kilderry

Michael Kilderry · Post #13by **Michael Kilderry** » 09.02.2005, 10:42

Here are some new images, I have created a new moon for Kretus, a Europa-like one called Asjuill.

Unlike Europa, this world is a bit closer to it's primary and so the tides affect it enough for the moon to have transient lakes of water on it's surface, often a few at a time. At the poles, are places of thicker ice.

Here's the picture, the red light form Proxima Centauri makes this bluish world appear purple:

Here are some new images of Kretus and Haperak. Kretus now has a nightside texture, which shows up on the day side because of Proxima's feeble light. I have also given Haperak a bump map.

Click on the last two pictures to get the full sized image.

Michael Kilderry

Sky Pilot · Post #14by **Sky Pilot** » 09.02.2005, 19:17

Ooooooooooh. Aaaaaaaaaah.

I can't wait!!

Dollan · Post #15by **Dollan** » 09.02.2005, 20:12

This is something I've been wondering about, since fairly soon I'll be working on some red dwarf systems.

Is the color off-set from Proxima, which makes your moon purplish, something that you had to do, or is this automatic via Celestia?

...John...

Michael Kilderry · Post #16by **Michael Kilderry** » 10.02.2005, 05:25

Dollan wrote:This is something I've been wondering about, since fairly soon I'll be working on some red dwarf systems.

Is the color off-set from Proxima, which makes your moon purplish, something that you had to do, or is this automatic via Celestia?

...John...

It's automatic. If you put a planet around a red star it will appear reddish.

Michael Kilderry

Michael Kilderry · Post #17by **Michael Kilderry** » 11.02.2005, 07:13

I've been doing some more work on Proxima's planet system, and have created three more worlds. Two new moons for Kretus (Gelidian and Sulcia) and a new planet, called Unterra.

Here are five thumbnails, click on them for the full sized image:

In the above image, we are hovering just above the auroral clouds on the nightside of Kretus, looking at the ring system.

Above, Gelidan, a moon of planet Kretus.

Above, Sulcia, a rather odd moon of Kretus.

Tidelocked Unterra's day side, note the big crater on the planet to the lower left of the picture.

Unterra's nightside and Proxima Centauri. Kretus and all of it's moons can be seen in the background.

Michael Kilderry

Sky Pilot · Post #18by **Sky Pilot** » 11.02.2005, 16:52

Very VERY nice, Michael. To what do you attribute the interlaced rings on Sulcia?

Michael Kilderry · Post #19by **Michael Kilderry** » 12.02.2005, 03:55

I knew someone would ask that

, I wasn't really trying to be too realistic on this moon with the interlaced rings, but these would probably be some strange lifeform of a sort.

The interlaced rings come from planet Pramarr from the Lera System and it's texture, which was blended in with others to make Sulcia's.

Michael Kilderry

Sky Pilot · Post #20by **Sky Pilot** » 12.02.2005, 04:31

Michael Kilderry wrote:I knew someone would ask that , I wasn't really trying to be too realistic on this moon with the interlaced rings, but these would probably be some strange lifeform of a sort.

If I stretch my imagination way way out there, I can imagine replacing the interlaced rings with large circular mountain ridges that include mountains of many various heights. Perhaps at one point, maybe at an intersection of the circles, there could be a particularly high mountain. In the center of the rings could be a deep impact crater. This might present a very interesting place to visit!!