Alpha Centauri Geographic Location in Astra Planeta | World Anvil
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Alpha Centauri

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Alpha Centauri is the closest independent gravitational system to Sol, as it does technically host Proxima Centauri. The main system is a binary, composed of the G2V star Rigil Kentaurus (α Cen A) and the K1V star Toliman (α Cen B). The system has several planets around each star and a circumbinary cloud of cometary debris, as well as a vast number of skgri ruins and one of the largest human-built citystations in known space: Chiron. It is one of the most high-traffic hub systems at the heart of human space.   The Alpha Centauri system is governed by the Centauri Republic, a founding member of the United Nations of Humanity. Humans populate the system in abundance, some eighteen billion strong; in some cases introducing minor genetic modifications into their populations to assist in adaptation to their adoptive worlds.

Astrography

Location

Alpha Centauri lies just over 4 lightyears from Sol, placing it very close to the approximate center of known space. It has jump links to seven other systems: Luhman 16, Sol, Helios, Wolf 359, Chaos, Ross 154, Sirius, Qaytaral, and Proxima Normae - the last one by way of a rogue planet stopover.

Structure

Alpha Centauri is a binary system with wide separation, composed of two primary stars (Rigil Kentaurus and Toliman) and their respective planets as well as a circumbinary disk of cometary debris (the Centauri Halo). The pair orbit about a common center with an orbital period of just under 80 years, with the distance between the two ranging from 35.6 AU to 11.2 AU.  
Alpha Centauri
The Alpha Centauri system, minus Proxima.
  SYSTEM OUTLINE
Rigil Kentaurus
  • Fornax* (s)
  • Epona* (d)
  • SilvanusΔ* (i)
    • FeroniaΔ* (e)
  • FortunaΔ* (tr)
    • Pax* (s)
    • ConcordiaΔ* (tr)
    • Sors* (mp)
    • Spero* (mp)
    • Chiron (station)
  • {Rigil Kent Belt}
    • Mellona* (s)
    • Bubona* (mp)
  • Fontus* (n)
    • Venelia* (e)
    • Volturnus* (e)
    • Juturna* (e)
Toliman
  • Vulcan (v)
  • {Toliman Belt}
    • Tiberinus* (s)
      • Tibertus* (mp)
    • Acis* (mp)
    • Elernus* (mp)
    • Tellus RingΔ* (megastructure)
  • Minerva (j)
    • Pietas* (s)
    • Honos* (e)
    • Virtus* (e)
    • Veritas* (e)
    • VictoriaΔ* (tr)
    • VacunaΔ* (tr)
    • Justitia* (c) + Aequitas* (e)
  • Juno (j)
    • Prorsa* (d)
    • Aegeria* (e)
    • Carmenta* (e)
    • Porima* (e)
    • Juventas* (q)
    • Moneta Archive (megastructure)
  • Bacchus* (n)
    • Liber* (e)
{Centauri Halo}
  • Quirinus* (d)
    • Hora* (e)
  • Mantus* (d)
    • Mania* (e)
  • Viduus* (e)
  • Libitina* (e)
 

Ecology

Several worlds in the Rigil Kent subsystem bear native life. There are two separate, unique trees of life present in the subsystem: Silvanigenia, present on Silvanus and its moon Feronia; and Fortunagenia, present on Fortuna and its cobinary planet Concordia. The Toliman subsystem, however, is host to three transplanted branches of Hemeragenid life: one on the moon Victoria, one on its neighboring moon Veritas, and one on the Tellus Ring construct.

Maps

Archive Data


DESIGNATIONS
Bayer designation
α Centauri
Sun names
  1. Rigil Kent
  2. Toliman
UNAC Local Star Catalogue designation
USC 002
Other designations
  • GJ 559
  • HIP 71681 / 71683
  • Opamu/Uwari
  • OHSE 26
  • Veqhnasi Zaal
  • AM 126
  • 3 Pirrzne
  • EZN 77
  • Amh Gebor ikh'Bakhur
  • KAZ 150
  SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS
Location
Local Interstellar Cloud, Local Bubble, Orion–Cygnus Arm, Milky Way, Virgo Supercluster
Proximal system
Proxima Centauri (0.12 ly)
System diameter (farthest orbit)
1.68e+10 km (Libitina)
System diameter (helioshock)
1.89e+10 km
System mass
2.01 MSol
Semi-major axis
23.3 AU
Eccentricity
0.52
Period
79.762 years
Circumbinary stability limit
88.24 AU
Major planets
15
Biotic planetoids
6
Inhabited planetoids
136
  STELLAR CHARACTERISTICS
Component stars
  1. Rigil Kentaurus (α Cen A)
  2. Toliman (α Cen B)
Stellar type
  1. G2V
  2. K1V
Mass
  1. 1.079 MSol
  2. 0.909 MSol
Temperature
  1. 5790 K
  2. 5260 K
Luminosity
  1. 1.506 LSol
  2. 0.5 LSol
Age
5.3 Gyr
  HABITATION INFORMATION
Total population
12.45 billion
Species demographics
Demonym
Centauri
Administrated by
Centauri Republic
ERPA Restriction Level
III

Reality Check

The real Alpha Centauri system has no confirmed planets, but it does have one unconfirmed planet candidate: a possible ice giant orbiting in the habitable zone of Rigil Kentaurus.

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