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Re: Sky People's solar system

From:Padraic Brown <pbrown@...>
Date:Wednesday, January 20, 1999, 18:51
On Wed, 20 Jan 1999, Christophe Grandsire wrote:

> >> - a double planet, the bigger the size of Mars, the smaller just > >> slightly smaller. No atmosphere (to close to the sun), but visible. > > > >Don't be too quick to assume that nearness to the star = no atmosphere. > >Mercury has a sodium-helium-hydrogen atmosphere. Thin to be sure, but > >there! > > Is it really an atmosphere or some gas rejected by the sun and captured by > the gravity of Mercury? I mean, if its composition keeps stable whatever > the activity of the sun, it's an atmosphere. If not, I can't name it an > atmosphere.
It's a combination: the H and He are thought to have been captured from solar ejections; the Na is from Mercury itself. Regardless of how it gets there, it's there and forms, for lack of a better term, an atmosphere. I can't speak to the solar activity bit. But even here on Earth, varying solar activity affects the upper layers of the atmosphere. And I'm sure at least _some_ of our atmosphere is derived from captured solar material.
> >> > >> - a solitary little rock and icy planet, maybe an ex-moon of the > next > >> planet (very possible as its orbit cuts the orbit of this planet). It has a > >> small volcanic activity, hence a light atmosphere. No moon.
Perhaps the Sky Peoples' astronomers will come to intellectual fisticuffs over the proper nomenclature of this planet, as ours are over Pluto. There's apparently a camp that wishes to reclassify Pluto as either a Minor Planet or an asteroid. Hm. An Asteroid Belt with one asteroid in. Well, two if we count Charon.
> > I'll think of it, but I think I'll add one. Comets are so beautiful!
Especially when they hit something! ;^) Plus the added benefit of a continual supply of "new" water for the planet.
> Thank you for your information. It will be very useful.
You're most welcome. Padraic.
> Christophe Grandsire