Araks

The Araks system is a G4 star with four planets, known as Araks I, Araks II, Araks III (Hentz) and Araks IV.

Only one of these worlds is habitable: Araks III (Hentz).

Subspace Trade Routes

Araks is served by three commercial routes and one exploration route:

Commercial:

• Athor - 8 LY
• Gruna Garu - 9 LY
• Scree Fron - 11 LY

Exploration:

• Starmist - 8 LY

Star Data Radius: 6.98x105km (1.00xSol) Stellar Mass: 1.66x1030kg (0.83xSol) Temperature: 5,500 kelvins Luminosity: 5.94x1026 W (1.55xSol)

Araks I Type: Jovian Orbital Radius: 4.57x107 km (0.31 AU) Local Year: 1.62x103 hours (0.18 standard years) Gravity: 2.76 Notes: Ringed, many moons, 18% extremely volatile magma.

Araks II Type: Jovian Orbital Radius: 9.18x107 km (0.61 AU) Local Year: 4.61x103 hours (0.53 standard years) Gravity: 2.72 Notes: Many moons, one has trace atmosphere and polar caps but is uninhabited.

Araks III Type: Terrestrial Orbital Radius: 2.23x108 km (1.49 AU) Local Year: 1.74x104 hours (1.99 standard years) Gravity: 0.70 Notes: Theocratic terraformed homeworld of Yazirians.

Araks IV Type: Rock Planet Orbital Radius: 1.10x109 km (7.36 AU) Local Year: 9.84x104 hours (11.26 standard years) Gravity: 2.04 Notes: Failed mining planet, crashed starship, false uranium readings.

System

Araks I

Araks I is a gas giant that has planetary rings, 38 small moons and 2 large moons which revolve around it in odd cycles. None of the moons are habitable, though the fourth moon (Araks Id) may have some minerals for mining. Future expeditions are necessary to verify initial scans. Araks I is 18% volatile magma, mostly on its southern axis pole (which faces the star most often).

Araks II

Araks II is also a gas giant. It has 4 small moons and 13 large moons. The largest of the moons (Araks IIc is the current name) has a trace atmosphere and some polar caps, but is far too hot for life to exist safely.

Araks III (Hentz)

Discovered in 341 pf, Hentz was the first colony world established by the Yazirians. It was merely a mining colony for 50 years. After the discovery of the weakening orbit of Levo, the planet became the first terraformed world during the Yazirian Relocation. This lasted, in full force, for 30 years, the first 23 during which Waloo was still intact, and the latter during which environments were still being reconstructed and synthesized on Hentz. There were some changes made due to the new environment and new geography of Hentz, as well as several environmental rejections, but aside from the change the size and color of the sun and the absence of the moon, the planet is much like the original. This was a time of great social cohesion for the Yazirians as well as a time of great scientific learning about both systems, the life on the planet(s), terraforming, and transportation. The government of Waloo was similarly transported in whole to Hentz. At the end of the 30 years, the governments returned to their pre-disaster states.

Araks IV

Araks IV is nothing but a cold, rocky mass. Its surface is covered with craters proving that it has seen much abuse in its existence. Initial scans showed uranium veins running through the rock, but mining expeditions failed to turn up anything at all. There are ruins of abandoned mining outposts littered everywhere on Araks IV. Additionally, a mining ship (the Ex-Cavator) crashed on its surface twenty years ago when it had engine trouble. Araks IV is known as a miner’s pipe dream, and scientists currently doubt the validity of the initial uranium scans.

(Cited from The Star Frontiersman, Issue #2)