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Brightest Stars - Planetary Systems List

21 May 2008

Page 5




61. BETA GRUIS, Andreana, 51-N-31629, 170 LY

This is another aging supergiant. It has a retinue of 7 planets (not the 20 of the MLP). The planets are now lifeless, but millions of years ago, there was an advanced civilization on what is now the 2nd planet. Apparently, when the star began to expand, the civilization moved en masse to a world about 3000 LY away toward the galactic center. They left no record of the exact location. The information left behind indicated that there was an 8th, uninhabited planet at 0.5 AU from the star. The expanding star evidently engulfed it, although the civilization had departed long before it happened.

Both Alliance and Confederation surveys of the region where they went show 20 (per the Alliance) or 25 (per the Confederation) very advanced civilizations, but they have not identified the Andreanan emigrants. Although communications with the worlds that they surveyed were friendly, and trade pacts were established, none of them indicated any interest in joining either group. Combined with the similarities in their cultures, it suggests that they have expanded their numbers across a fairly large region of space.

62. BETA URSAE MINORIS (KOCHAB), Marketti, 15-E-11294, 125 LY

No inhabited planets.

63. GAMMA CASSIOPEIAE, Dormuli, 68-R-00953, 610 LY

No inhabited planets. There are two planets in one almost perfectly circular orbit 7.43 AU from the star. The probability of that occuring naturally is so slim that the only conclusion that can be reached is that it was done deliberately by beings and forces unknown, for purposes unknown.

64. IOTA CARINAE (ASPIDISKE), Kalemesta, 45-S-99390, 686 LY

Six uninhabited planets, including two Jupiter-sized gaseous planets (4th and 5th). There is a Confederation scientific facility on the third planet, Gemmatar, but it is largely automated, and personnel are sent there only for routine maintenance and repairs.

65. THETA CENTAURI (MENKENT), Lana, 71-G-54405, 60.2 LY

No planets.

66. ZETA PUPPIS (NAOS), Arbrial, 98-S-21925, 1410 LY

No planets. Naos is a short-lived, extremely hot star. From Wikipedia:

"For comparison, at the distance of Sirius, Naos would cast strong shadows on Earth, with a visible magnitude (-9) close to that of the quarter moon, but if it were placed at the center of our Solar System, its intense heat at a distance of 1AU would heat the Earth to an incredible 6100K, causing it to vaporize. It would appear 20 times the Sun's diameter and also shine 20,000 times brighter in the sky with an extremely powerful blue-white glow. Its apparent magnitude would be -37.5 and even scattered or refracted light would blind a human in seconds. In order for Naos to appear equal to the Sun's apparent magnitude of -26.8 combined with Earth-like temperatures, a planet would need to be 450AU away from Naos, over eleven times the distance from the Sun to Pluto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeta_Puppis

67. GAMMA ANDROMEDAE (ALMACH), Tara Liana, 361 LY

No habitable planets. Quadruple star system.

68. ALPHA CORONAE BOREALIS (GEMMA), Colura, 18-M-20508, 75 LY

No habitable planets. Two are in the process of formation, and there is an accretion disk that will be a third planet.

69. GAMMA CYGNI (SADR), Barbarin, 39-K-41665, 1508 LY

No planets.

70. EPSILON SCORPII, Uran Olra, 54-D-34658, 65 LY
Planet Name Ind/Col Orbit (AU) Year (E=1) Diameter (Mi)
Astran COL 4.587 5.624 8240
Ilerbra IND 6.391 9.251 7755
Alserene IND 7.044 10.702 10,950
Myaran COL 8.523 14.245 6924

71. BETA ANDROMEDAE (MIRACH), Naritam, 38-S-44269, 203 LY

No inhabited planets.

72. GAMMA CENTAURI (MUHLIFAIN), Drialan. 77-N-26169, 130 LY

No planets.

73. GAMMA DRACONIS (ELTANIN), Corr Avar. 42-L-36833. 147 LY

No planets.

74. BETA CASSIOPEIAE (CAPH), Indremir, 63-R-51864, 45 LY
Planet Name Ind/Col Orbit (AU) Year (E=1) Diameter (Mi)
Altimatar IND 5.034 7.614 8643
Thoran COL 6.386 10.877 11,056

75. KORENA, Korena, 33-D-73412, 411 LY
Planet Name Ind/Col Orbit (AU) Year (E=1) Diameter (Mi)
Korendor IND 3.535 4.535 21,737
Korenhal IND 4.692 6.932 14,298

Korena is assuredly not amongst the brightest stars in our skies (Mv = +7.386). The Korendians included it in the list "just because", as we say. Korendor and Korenhal both have indigenous life. Other worlds in the 12-planet system that can support colonies have them. None of the colonies are large enough to merit inclusion in the list.




     



© 2008 Robert P. Renaud -- all rights reserved