> You seem to be saying that the more "tidal influence" a body has, the
> rarer its atmosphere will be. Is that correct?
>
Yes, it seems that bodies with a higher level of tides from other bodies acting
on them in proportion to their own surface gravity and/or diameter will tend to
have thinner atmospheres, in relation to similarly sized/similar gravity bodies
with lower levels of tidal influence from other bodies. I am sure that there is
another factor invoved in terms of solar flux levels... but that is the main
gist of my argument.
-- TANSTAAFL!!! Michael Lorrey ------------------------------------------------------------ mailto:retroman@together.net Inventor of the Lorrey Drive MikeySoft: Graphic Design/Animation/Publishing/Engineering ------------------------------------------------------------ BIG NEWS: The most newly discovered extrasolar planet is now less than a four year trip away at constant 1 g acceleration!!!