Elius

Elius is the farthest planet from Proksimus Kirbani and the only gas giant in the Nova Kirbani System.

## In-Game Description

*"Elius was the last planet discovered around Proksimus Kirbani due to its sheer distance, despite being the largest planet in the Nova Kirbani System. The planet is believed to be a small ice giant, and the only planet in the system made primarily of gas. Elius plays a large role in the Proksimus Kirbani System as a shepherd and deflector of debris in the system and protector from any interstellar visitors."*

## Discovery

Elius was discovered via the radial velocity method, where it was first missed due to its far proximity to Proksimus Kirbani. Kerbal scientists were surprised to note that it was an Gas Giant, since no other planet in the star system is primarily gas.

## Physical Characteristics

Elius is a small ice giant orbiting far out in the Proksimus Kirbani System. It is most well known for being the largest planet in the entire Nova Kirbani System, and the only one composed primarily of gas. The planet is made primarily of hydrogen and helium, while also having a larger proportion of heavier elements, such as oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and sulfur. Compounds such as methane in the atmosphere are responsible for its dark blue coloration, a common feature of ice giants.

Elius’s sheer distance from Proksimus Kirbani means it receives little light, far less than any of the planets around Kerbol receive. How the planet managed to be so distant is still unknown. Some say it formed closer to Proksimus Kirbani and was later ejected, while others believe that it formed this far and has stayed there since.

Along with its 3 moons, Elius has a thin set of rings, composed primarily of ice and dust. The prevailing theory is that the rings formed from a large comet or possibly small moon being obliterated by the planet’s gravity as it got too close to Elius. The rings are guided mostly by Irnil, a small shepherd moon orbiting just outside the rings.

## Atmosphere and Climate

The planet’s atmosphere consists of mostly Hydrogen and Helium, but has traces of ammonia, nitrogen and water vapor. Lower down, the water vapor condenses and becomes a large liquid ocean on the planet, although the pressure there is equivalent to 1,500m underwater on the surface of Elius’s ocean. While the ocean is difficult to reach, it might be a nice place to go swimming if you have a death wish.

Elius also has a rather unstable climate for a gas giant. The planet has been observed to have turbulent winds and occasional storms. While most storms come and go within a year, there is one large, white storm on the northern hemisphere that has been raging for years.

## Possibilities of Life

As Elius is a gas giant, it itself cannot support life.

## Moons

Elius has three moons in its system, the first of which is called Irnil and is a large remnant of whatever it was that formed the planet’s rings. Irnil is a shepherd moon, meaning it guides the dust within Elius’s rings to maintain their shape, and can allow for great views of the planet due to its close proximity. The moon is bombarded with radiation from the planet’s magnetic sphere and thus not a good place for kerbals.

Nyss is the largest of the Elius moons, and a surprisingly interesting one, too. While the moon is mostly covered in dust fields, large patches of exposed ice are also visible. Some scientists believe the moon may have a subsurface ocean, one that could contain the ingredients necessary for life.

Um is a small moon that was captured by Elius, and is thus in a very large elliptical and inclined orbit. This tiny 3 km asteroid has the lowest gravity (.002 G's) of any celestial object in the Nova Kirbani system, which makes landing on it a real challenge.

## Trivia

* Elius is based off of the hypothetical planet Proxima Centauri C
* While Elius is only about 1.5 KAU away from Proksimus Kirbani, it has the properties of a cold ice giant