tHE VELA SYSTEM: ALVA

Name: Alva

Mean orbital radius: 2.15km

Rotational period 26hrs

Diameter: 12700km

Orbital period: 17.3days

Atmosphere:

            Pressure: 0.8 bar

            Composition:             78% nitrogen

                                                21% oxygen

                                    1% other, mostly carbon dioxide and argon

Density: 5.61 g/cm^3

Surface g: 9.96m/s/s

Orbital inclination: 5°

Magnetic field: moderate, fairly stable similar to Earth’s

Summary: life bearing satellite, more below.

Surface coverage:

Whereas the sea dominated Anan, the land dominates Alva, to about 60% of its surface area. The seas and oceans remain mostly unconnected, though they are more extensive in the northern hemisphere. However despite the absence of large oceans, the planets surface receives enough rain to support lush vegetation.

Geology:

Igneous rocks dominate geology, sedimentary rocks only very rarely occurring at the surface. There is tectonic activity on this planet, though most if it hidden by the remaining seas, where there plates collide above the sea, large mountain ranges are pushed up, and these are the dominant features on the planet. Volcanism is in much lesser extent than Anan, though far more proliferate here than the surface of Earth.

Climate:

The absence of large seas leads to highly erratic weather, along with the moons large axial inclination (28 degrees, though the way that the moon orbits the planet means that are no extended periods of permanent light on the poles), despite the weather’s instability, vegetation thrives nearly everywhere, except in the larger dessert regions around the equator. Most of the surface enjoys mild climate with frequent rain, the equatorial regions are hotter but receive in most places similar amounts of rain. There are no permanent polar caps, though the northern lands and seas sometimes accumulate a thin ice sheet.

Life:

Biological studies have revealed that the life present on this planet shares most of its chemistry with that of Anan, further studies revealed that Alva was seeded with bacteria from Anan in the scattered debris of meteorite strike. Since that transference Alva’s life has developed quite separately to Anan’s. There is a great range of animal life on Alva, though none appears to be intelligent, there are many types of mammal analogue, as well insect like forms. Plant life is equally diverse especially along the waters edge where many plants have used the water to disperse their seed.

Colonies:

There are no colonies on Alva, and only very few research posts, this is due to certain biological incompatibilities. Certain species of soil microbe cause large immune reactions in Galen and humans, and some sort of prion infects Panatrak, which disrupts some aspects of cell function. Though none of these is immediately fatal, it does however preclude colonization. Research is focused on providing effective vaccines.