Aquarius

Geography

Region: Outer Rim

Sector: Subterrel

Grid coordinates: K-20

Suns: 1 – Aquarius Prime (G-type)

Moons:

• Phobos

• Deimos

• Rocky rings

Diameter: 27078.4198 km – 2.125 times volume of Earth

Distance from star: 1.139 – 1.150 AU

Approximately two thirds of the surface of Aquarius is perpetually covered in sea ice hundreads of meters thick. The relatively mild climate of the planet's equatorial zone hosts patches of tundra with the oceans of this region providing a more stable environment for life. Maximum temperatures at sea level at the equator are around 0 °C (32 °F) in winter and 8 °C (46.4 °F) in summer. This equatorial littoral zone usually remains free of pack ice in winter, though thin ice may form in sheltered bays, and icebergs are common.

The Aquarian moons, Phobos and Deimos are captured asteroids propelled from their solar orbit by the gravity of the Neptune-like planet in the Aquarian System. Their gravitational pull of Phobos and Deimos are so low, they cannot support a sustainable population. The Aquarian ring system was formed when former moons, propelled in Aquarian orbit by the same forces as Phobos and Deimos , fell within the Roche limit and broke apart under tidal forces. The artificial pulling of asteroids into Aquarian orbit for mining has become a substantial industry.

Fauna & Flora

Aquarius supports relatively little diversity in flora and fauna compared to other life-supporting worlds in the universe.
Terrestrial life on Aquarius is concentrated the tundra of the planet's equatorial zone. The Aquarian tundra suppors vegetation of grass, rushes, sedge, ferns, clubmoss, forbs, mosses, lichens, and algae. Amphipods and planarians exist under rocks, along with various algaes, chitons, and some gastropods. With the much of the rocky soil frozen in all but the summer months, trees or shrubs are unable to survive anywhere on Aquarius.
Algae photosynthesizing in coastal waters and in the submerged side of thinner sea ice form the basis of the aquatic Aquarian food web. With increasing water depth, life becomes more varied: starfish appear beyond 2-3 meters along with sponges, urchins, and ascidians. Some Aquarian fish species have antifreeze proteins in their blood allow them to inhabit waters near or below 0° C. In the deepest parts of the Aquarian ocean, under sea ice of such thickness that sunlight is unable to reach the water beneath, life survives exclusively around hydrothermal vents. Here, chemosynthetic bacteria and archaea form the base of the food web.

Natural Resources

Main industries: Mining, tourism, manufacturing (including military products)

Export Goods: Water, minerals, fish and seafood, metallurgical products

Import Goods: Foodstuffs, technology, machinery and equipment, consumer goods

Type

Planet

Related Historical Events

• Pre -700 BBY
  First contact with Kallidahins
• Circa -10,000,000 BBY
  New Aquarian Ice Age Begins
• Circa -100,000,000 BBY
  Old Aquarian Ice Age
• Circa -4,070,000,000 BBY
  Earliest Lifeforms Evolve on Aquarius