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Kerbin is the third planet in the Kerbolar system, the home planet of Kerbalkind, location of the KSC, and the starting point of any space program. It is the third-largest planet in the Kerbolar system. It has a breathable oxygen atmosphere, large oceans of liquid water, and huge landmasses with a wide variety of biomes. Kerbin has two moons, the Mun and Minmus.
Synopsis
Even as rockets and probes escape its atmosphere for deep space exploration there is still much to appreciate about this vibrant world. Its vast oceans, deserts, forests, and plains coat the surface in lively beauty. Its moons Mun and Minmus swirl silently above it. Kerbalkind is fortunate to call this pale blue planet their home.
Surface
Kerbin's surface is among the most diverse in the Kerbolar system. Along with large saltwater oceans that moderate the climate of the planet local surface conditions range from icy wastelands through temperate grasslands to extremely hot and dry deserts. It is the only planet in the Kerbolar system that has vegetation and multicellular life. much of Kerbin's surface is mountainous which suggest that it is very tectonically active and has a molten iron core. aside from Kerbals Kerbin is home to hundreds of different plant and animal species notably kapybaras that roam its grasslands and Kerbugs that can often be seen playing their saxophones at the KSC.
Atmosphere
Kerbin's atmosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen with small amounts of argon and trace amounts of carbon dioxide water and other greenhouse gases. the average molar mass of the atmosphere is 28.9644 g mol and temperatures average at about 288.15 k 15 u8c2b0c . the atmosphere tends to get colder with increasing altitude and decreasing density. there are local variations in composition and aerosol presence depending on the local conditions. for instance there are high amounts of pollen in the grassland and highland regions due to the widespread presence of grasses flowers and trees. desert regions have almost no water vapor in the atmosphere corresponding with a low humidity. near the beaches sand and salt are present in the air due to the proximity to the ocean. the weather on Kerbin is fairly clement. below the tropopause a layer of low-altitude fluffy cumulus clouds is often present which causes the skies on Kerbin to vary tremendously in cloud cover. the clouds on Kerbin are located at an altitude of about 2 000 meters. oceans oceans oceans Kerbin's oceans are made of liquid water as the temperatures and atmospheric density on Kerbin permit water to exist in vast quantities. by volume the oceans on Kerbin are about 96 liquid water 4 salt and a tiny percentage of organic and inorganic substances. warm and cold currents along the ocean floors help moderate the climates of Kerbin. the mun contributes heavily to the tides on Kerbin's oceans. minmus also produces a tide but due to its larger distance and smaller mass it is stated to be nearly negligible. at the ocean bottoms water temperatures are close to freezing and higher in salinity than the ocean surface. the surface of the ocean bottom is mainly sand and broken shell fragments along with some organic matter. concentrations of potassium-40 raise the radiation levels above expected levels at this depth. it may have originated from deep within Kerbin's interior brought to the surface via hydrothermal vents.
Magnetosphere
Kerbin has a relatively powerful magnetic field which blocks out harmful solar radiation from Kerbol and aids in making Kerbin an ideal world for life. its magnetosphere is among the most powerful in the Kerbolar system dwarfed only by jool jool\'s and Kerbol's and it extends even beyond minmus. its rapid rotation rate and molten iron core are likely the cause of Kerbin's extremely powerful magnetic field.
Science
The Science available in Kerbin's sphere of influence is readily available early in a campaign, generally enough to unlock a handful of Tier 2 research nodes without revisiting Kerbin's moons for multiple biomes. Kerbin is the target body for the most number of missions in the game.
Kerbin has seven surface science regions giving it the highest number of regions for any celestial body in ksp2; this number is matched only by laythe . its high number of regions make it optimal for gaining a lot of science science points early on. however the low multiplier yields modest results at best. orbital situations orbital situations orbital situations class \"wikitable fandom-table\" science region altitude range science multiplier - high orbit 150 000 m - 84 159 286 m 12x - low orbit 70 000 m - 150 000 m 6x - atmosphere 0 m - 70 000 m 1x surface regions surface regions surface regions class \"wikitable fandom-table\" science region science multiplier - grasslands 1x - water 1x - ice 1x - mountains 1x - desert 1x - highlands 1x - beach 1x
Discoverables
There are five discoverables spread around Kerbin's surface. two secondary missions are focused on two of these discoverables kapy rock and stargazer point. they award more science than everywhere else on Kerbin aside from being in orbit around it. the KSC is counted as a discoverable location on its own as it is a small but important location on Kerbin. however it rewards as much as science as the surface regions of Kerbin due to being the starting location of any launch. class \"fandom-table\" discoverable science multiplier - kapy rock 2x - stargazer point 2x - Kerbal space center 1x - Kerb-2 summit 2x - the lost center 2x
Version history
- Added science regions.
- Added new discoverables.
- Updated atmospheric scattering.
- Improved distribution of rock scatter objects on surface.
- Height fog added.
- Fixed plants rendering incorrectly.
- Fixed atmosphere disappearing when viewed from Mun's SoI.
- Updated foliage.
- Initial release.