Iro

**Iro** is the innermost planet of the Proksimus Kirbani System. This planet slightly larger than the Mun is known to be one of the most geologically active places in the entire system.

## In-game Description

*"Iro is a surprisingly two-faced planet. Being so close to Proksimus Kirbani, this little planet is tidally locked, meaning only one side of the planet faces the star at all times. This has led to Iro's two-sided appearance. The side facing Proksimus Kirbani is subject to intense volcanic activity, leading to a pizza-like appearance and a dark lava sea. The dark side of Iro is covered almost entirely in ice, as it's so cold that the ice can stay frozen, despite the close proximity to Proksimus Kirbani. Iro is a great spot to visit to not only learn about tidally locked planets, but also Proksimus itself!"*

## Discovery

The discovery of Iro itself was uneventful. Minutes after it’s discovery, however, the KSC threw a pizza party. When Wernher Von Kerman was brought in to name the planet, he responded by saying “I don’t know.” Due to him eating pizza at the time, it sounded like he said “Iro.” Thus, the name of the planet was born.

Despite Wernher’s efforts to get the name changed, it was confirmed after the planet’s pizza-like appearance was observed.

## Physical Characteristics

Iro is a molten world that orbits close to Proksimus Kirbani. The planet is highly volcanic compared to other worlds in the Nova Kirbani System. Because Iro is tidally locked, it has a two-faced appearance to it.

Iro’s substellar side is molten and scorched. This side is covered in volcanoes and calderas. These volcanoes are constantly spewing out a variety of chemicals that lead to the entirety of Iro’s appearance. The subsellar hemisphere is coated in a thin layer of volcanic byproducts, such as sulfur compounds, igneous rocks and ash. This gives the planet the appearance of a pizza. Iro’s antistellar hemisphere is covered in a thin layer of ice. The ice originates from water vapor that escapes the volcanoes and is blown to the dark side. The vapor will then freeze as ice.

Iro’s most notable feature is the lava sea directly under the substellar point. The sea is a result of a combination of lava flows from volcanoes and magma rising from under the surface. However, the sea is very cool for lava, giving it a black appearance. The lava, of course, is still deadly to any craft that try to land on it, so attempting to land there isn’t a very good idea.

## Atmosphere and Climate

Although Iro lacks a dense atmosphere, a tenuous atmosphere is present on the surface. The air is a result of volcanic gases, and thus is composed of a mixture of them. Most of the air is sulfur dioxide, water vapor, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. However, the fact that an atmosphere is present doesn’t mean it’s anything that can slow you down.

Iro’s climate is determined by its tidal lock to Proksimus Kirbani. Like all airless worlds, the substellar side is extremely hot, while the antistellar side is well below freezing. On Iro, a clear temperature difference is apparent. This causes high speed “winds” on the planet, which is mainly hot gases released from volcanoes freezing on the night side. This has lead to the formation of Iro’s ice cap.

## Possibilities of Life

Due to a lack of atmosphere and the proximity to Proksimus Kerbani, the possibility of life is near zero.

## Biomes

* Molten Sea
* Volcanoes
* Dark Fallout
* Sulfidic Fallout
* Ice
* Volcanic Formation
* Scorching Lowlands
* Scorching Midlands
* Scorching Highlands