The Vela system is
somewhat of a geographical oddity, quite what happened in the systems
earliest days is unknown, but it is thought that systems largest gas
giant, Maloth migrated inwards disrupting other rocky worlds, leading to
the capture of two, if any other worlds existed (which according to the
geology of what was left behind is very likely) they have been flung out
into interstellar space. The current system consists of a standard G
type star, two large gas giants, and extensive belt systems throughout
the inner region of the system. The system was federation founded in
earth year 2121. Astro-archaeology has brought up potential evidence of
manipulation of the system, this would explain the surprisingly earth
like satellites of Maloth, whose environments are so very similar.
However no artifacts have been recovered.
Table below lists main
stars, then planets and belts in increasing orbital radius.
Sun:
Name: Vela
Class: G0 V
Luminosity: 1.25x sol
Radius: 1.05x sol
Surface temperature:
6030K
Rotational period: 12
days
Age: ~3,500,000,000
years
Summary: bright G type
star, strange fast rotation, but in other respects typical, weather is
occasionally violent, with mass ejection storms cycling every 20 years
or so, the effect on planetary systems is however minimal.
Belt:
Name: Vela region 1
Extent: orbits between
45m km, and 70m km
Density: moderate, most
bodies lie in a band between 61m km, and 63m km
Object size
distribution:
~4400 objects 50km+
~1000 objects 150km+
5 objects 300km+
0 objects above 600km
Composition: nearly all
metallic, some stony and igneous, thought to be planetary remnants, or a
region of planetesimals that never formed to create a planet.
Summary: This belt is
typical of the inner belts found in the Vela system, many asteroids in
this belt have been dismantled for ship manufacture for the various
shipyard in this system, this belt is particularly favored because of
the high density of the asteroids, and structural integrity.
Belt:
Name: Vela region 2
Extent: orbits between
86m km, and 109m km
Density: poor, most
bodies lie in a band between 61m km, and 63m km
Object size
distribution:
~1600 objects 50km+
~300 objects 150km+
3 objects 300km+
0 objects above 600km
Composition: large
mixture of types, thought that this region condensed from material
perturbed by Maloth, metallic is dominant but large amounts of all types
can be found, silicaceous and carbonaceous most significant of these
others.
Summary: typical for
the vela system, again probably debris from early formation, some
objects used for ship manufacture, carbonaceous chondrites been used to
create the orbital tethers in system, a few have been hollowed and
inhabited, mostly these have become research facilities.
Planet:
Name: Maloth
Mean orbital radius:
165m km
Rotational period 16hrs
Planetary diameter:
161000 km
Year length: 413 days
Average temp:
~220K,cloud top, but more complex than this
Atmosphere:
gas giant type,
Violent
turbulent atmosphere
Large
super-storms detected
Complex
layer chemistry in composition
Original
core assumed to be silicaceous
Density: 1.21
Surface g: 27.22m/s/s
Axial inclination: 1°
Magnetic field: massive
and stable
Moons:
Extensive 12 major satellites, with very different types present.
Two
possess life, one seemed to have transferred life to the other about
2.3billion years ago, as biochemistry seems to share a common ancestor,
probably bacterial conveyed by meteorite impact. The two major moons are
listed below.
Major
ring systems at orbits:
512000km-551000km
721000km- 801000km
910000km- 930000km
Name:
Anan
Mean
orbital radius: 1.22m km
Rotational
period 30hrs
Diameter:
11900km
Orbital
period: 7.37 days
Rotational
period 30hrs
Atmosphere:
Pressure: 1.05 bar
Composition: 77%
nitrogen
21% oxygen
2% other, mostly carbon dioxide and argon
Density:
5.21 g/cm^3
Surface
g: 8.86m/s/s
Orbital
inclination: 3°
Magnetic
field: moderate, fairly stable similar to Earth’s
Summary:
life bearing satellite, more information here
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 information here.
Summary: super-jovian
planet, unusual and nearly unprecedented in satellite type within
federation space, planet thought to have migrated inwards. The larger
moons are thought to have been captured during this migration, life
seems to have emerged when these planets had settled into their orbits,
and not from pre-capture times.
Belt:
Name: Vela region 3
Extent: orbits between
342m km, and 412m km
Density: poor, bodies
scattered loosely within this band, no major regions
Object size
distribution:
~400 objects 50km+
5 objects 150km+
1 object 300km+
0 objects above 600km
Composition: great
range can be found in this belt, with metallic being dominant, also some
icy bodies can be found, and also large regions rich in scattered debris
(particle size average less than 5mm).
Summary: This is the
last major belt in the Vela system and also the least material
containing, its origins are not clear, as Maloth should have swept this
region clear in its migration some suggest that Maloth displaced these
bodies as it moved inwards flinging them out behind it.
Planet:
Name: Forax
Mean orbital radius:
3900m km
Rotational period 17hrs
Planetary diameter:
62000km
Year length: ~47000
days (~130years)
Average temp: ~60K
Atmosphere:
gas giant type,
Atmosphere
quite calm, though storms seem to coincide with the seasons.
Density: 1.37 g/cm^3
Surface g: 11.8 m/s/s
Axial inclination: 60°
Magnetic field:
pronounced
Moons:
mostly debris, 15 moons (icy) above 50km diameter
No significant ring systems
Extra notes on system
Large numbers
of Trojan bodies can be found either side of Maloth the total body
population is approximately 600 objects greater than 2km.
The
rotation of the two large satellites Alva and Anan should be tidally
locked to their planet, but this is not so, though the length of day is
beginning to lengthen.
The
Vela system has only recently been included within in the federation,
and forms one of the outpost systems. There is small scale ship
manufacturing between vela regions 1 and 2, and the population in the
asteroid complexes that attend them is less than 5000.
If
intelligent life does emerge, and forms a civilization on either of
Maloth’s inhabited moons then the federation with have to withdraw
from those worlds, and remove all traces that it was. This can be done
quite quickly on Anan, with orbital tether in place people can be
shipped to the asteroid settlements in the inner belts, or be taken by
wormhole gate to the federation main. Though it is far more likely that
any disembarkment can occur at a much more leisurely pace, with the
thorough removal of all traces of habitation, and then as the infant
civilization starts to mature, the removal of the various orbital
facilities, and finally culminating in crashing the modified asteroids
into the sun.
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