Crow

Classified Adhara 51b, and named after the ship its colonists arrived upon, Crow is the most earth-like planet in the A51 system, and the one with the largest number of human settlements. Gravitational acceleration is 0.95 g, with a very rich oxygen atmosphere, and a higher average temperature than Earth (due to the younger, hotter sun, and large oceanic air currents). Over 75% of the surface is covered in water, especially the southern hemisphere, which consists of one massive ocean, dotted with island chains and archipelagos. The sea level is high, most likely due to Crow’s high rates of plate tectonics and warm climate, meaning many of the oceans are warm and shallow, with broad continental shelves. Crow spins along her axis once every 32 hours - the significant length of the day being caused by Crow's relatively large moon, Verne, which is massive enough to be partially habitable itself, to hardy vegetation at least. Verne’s gravitational pull also causes much larger tides than on Earth, leading to high biodiversity in the Oceans. It is thus in the oceans where the colonists grow and produce the most food - the Kelp farms of Corvid have become quite famous across the cluster, and are even beginning to draw tourists. The northern hemisphere consists mostly of landmass - the coastlines are temperate-Mediterranean and mountainous, giving way to arid plains and deserts as one moves inland. As many of the Raven’s crew come from the North American and Asian Southwests, this climate is quite agreeable to most Colonists.

Localized Phenomena

Crow is younger than Earth - the oxygen content in the air is higher, tectonic activity is high, the climate is warm and the oceans are (relatively) shallow, except for the Cameron Trench , the deepest oceanic trench as of yet encountered by mankind. There is only one icecap, located at the north pole - oceanic currents make the south pole too warm to permanently freeze. The planet possesses very odd Geomagnetic properties as well - a preliminary survey of the ocean floor shows that geomagnetic reversals happen often (once every 10,000 cycles or so). The crust overall has a high iron content, 15% higher than Earth's, and large deposits of magnetite have been located on the northern continent. These magnetic features have caused some issues for equipment and communication devices, though they provide extra protection against magnetic storms.

Alternative Name(s)

Adhara 51b, A51b, "Crow's Nest",

Type

Planet

Location under

Adhara 51

Included Locations