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Sol (also known simply as "the Sun") is the star at the centre of the Sol System in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way galaxy.

Overview

Sol is orbited by 9 planets with its 3rd, Earth, being the homeworld of Humanity and cradle of our interplanetary civilisation. Along with Earth, Sol harbours 2 other lifebearing bodies, Europa and Enceladus, each having their own thriving ecosystems although only Earth's life would continue onto land whereas Europan and Enceladian life are confined to the subglacial seas of their homeworlds.

The star is currently surrounded by an active Dyson Swarm, powering colonies all across the system.

System

Inner Planets

Mercury

A small, airless rocky world and where the Dyson Swarm around Sol was built. Mercury is the only one of the terrestrial planets to not have any major colonies, instead being used for mining and Dyson Swarm construction. The only permanent settlements are small eco-domes used as homes for the workers. Unlike the rest of the inner terrestrial planets, Mercury virtually has no tourism due to its status as being a mining world, exporting the most metals to elsewhere around Sol.

Venus

Famous for its floating city colonies, being a very popular tourist destination throughout the system, attracting millions each year. The planet is slowly undergoing terraformation, the more poisonous gases being mined for other purposes. True to the planet's name, Venusian culture has a heavy focus on beauty, be it personal or architectural, with some of the floating colonies containing grand marble architecture. Because of this, Venus is arguably the most expensive to live on out of the inner planets.

Nevertheless, tourists frequent the planet, rising up to the millions in total each year, which helps with the local economy, especially to those residing within the airborne cities. To combat the planet's extremely slow rotation, the airborne colonies all travel at a consistent pace, in order to create a circadian cycle for locals and tourists alike. Airships travel between most cities every hour, with shuttles flying to more far flung ones.

Earth

The homeworld of mankind, currently a paradise world, unified under a global "supernation" after the Great Restoration in which pollution and climate issues have finally been resolved. It is a major source of pilgrimage and tourism for Humans all across Sol, with millions coming from all over each year to witness where civilisation began its first steps. It has a whopping population of 25 billion, making it the most populous planet in Sol.

Earth boasts the most diverse climate and geography in the entirety of Sol, with 70% of its surface being covered in vast blue oceans. One moon, Luna, orbits the planet which serves as the first major off-world colony of Humanity. It was the original capital of the Solarian Confederation, before being moved to Mars in 2549.

Mars

The main centre for space exploration due to the lower gravity and current capital of the Sol System. As of 3021 the planet is halfway terraformed with temperatures adjusted to more comfortable and even a marginally breathable atmosphere. Residents live in great domed cities dotted around the planet, most being connected by long distance railway networks.

There are several types of domes, housing, business and terrariums. As quality of life has improved since the early days of Mars colonisation, more people have migrated to the planet, boosting the population to a grand 1.2 billion. The Solarian Confederation moved its capital to Mars in 2549, as the low gravity and progressive nature made it more desirable for interplanetary affairs.

Asteroid Belt

A region of asteroids between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, the Asteroid belt has become a hub for mining and resource distribution. It wasn't until the 2040s when Humans would physically visit the Asteroid Belt, starting with the first manned mission to Ceres, and eventually branching out in the coming decades. Other notable asteroids such as 4 Vesta, 2 Pallas, 16 Psyche and 10 Hygiea have active mining operations on them.

The Belt Colonies call this place home, which is mainly mafe of various stations and small asteroid habitats, with Ceres serving as the de-facto capital of the Belt.

Ceres

Ceres is home to two major settlements, Dawn and Gateway, as its considered to be the gateway to the Outer Solar System, being is home to several mining platforms as well as refuelling stations. Those heading towards the outer solar system may stop here to either refuel or take a break. Others choose to go on surface shuttle tours to view its natural salt deposits and huge mountains.

Outer Planets

Jupiter

Largest planet in the system, orbited by around 95 moons. Its four major moons, Io, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa are under control of the Jovian Protectorate, with the capital being Valhalla on Callisto . Automated mining facilities operate within the atmosphere, distributing valuable gases to other colonies throughout Sol, along with floating cities housing the planet's populace.

Saturn

The sun shining through the rings, considered to be one of the most gorgeous sights in the system.

Famous for its beautiful rings, Saturn is the second largest world in the Sol System. It is also the location of Shepherd Station, a large space station orbiting in the gap between the A-ring and the B-ring, considered to be the "capital" of the Saturnian System. Unlike Jupiter, there is no independent nation/faction here, with the Solarian Confederation overseeing most mining operations on its moons, namely Titan, Iapetus and Tethys. Saturn attracts countless from throughout the solar system, whether it be to view its majestic rings or explore its intriguing moons.

Microbial life was discovered on its moon, Enceladus, during the 23rd century, which proved to be a shocking revelation given complex life was already confirmed to exist on Jupiter's moon, Europa. The life on Enceladus is very simple, inhabiting regions around the hydrothermal vents, though some have ended up being ejected into space by the enormous plumes.

Uranus

Note the eerily pale appearance, considered unsettling by some.

Seventh world from the Sun, known for being extremely tilted and possessing its own visible ring system. The Shakspearean moons are home to around 150 million people, strewn throughout them. A nation known as Georgium, presides over these moons, which despite the relatively small population, maintains a balanced economy and culture. Uranus and its moons are considered to be quite backwater, as the planet's distance from the sun combined with the small sizes of these moons haven't made them too worthy of tourism by the wider community. Because of this, only two of the Shakespearean moons, Titania and Oberon, have been properly settled, albeit sparsely. The rest are used for simple mining with the exception of Miranda, which has a small tourist settlement on it due to its immense cliffs.

Uranians can best be described as isolationist, when compared to the rest of the Solarian community, rarely venturing beyond their backwater home.

Neptune

Eighth world from the sun and once considered the furthest. The only permanent habitation here is Trident Station, which serves as a major tourist attraction for its scenic views of Neptune, as well as surface shuttle tours to Triton. Small mining operations exist on Triton, which gather the valuable nitrogen and water-ice for usage elsewhere.

Its most famous for being home to the legendary Neptune Gate, a wormhole rumoured to be orbiting the planet somewhere. Many stories have been written about this urban legend, from books to movies. Whilst only a legend, many are convinced it exists out there somewhere, as there have been supposed sightings of it, even going back to the first manned missions to the planet.

Kuiper Belt

A circumstellar disc surrounding the Solar System, containing countless comets, asteroids and an entourage of dwarf planets. Even during the current day it is still the most mysterious and unexplored region of the system, with there being few colonies within the region, though exploration persists.

Pluto

Once considered the original ninth planet, until being demoted to a dwarf planet by the IAU in 2006 and was visited by the New Horizons spacecraft in 2015. Pluto was fhe first destination during the [[Kuiper Belt Exploration Program]], in which Humans finally landed on the dwarf planet, snapping pictures of its ice covered surface.

Today it houses several mining colonies, gathering the valuable nitrogen within the dwarf planet. It is fairly isolationist, not interacting with the rest of the Solar System much. Colonists live within rotating surface habits to simulate more comfortable gravity.

Qauoar

Haumea

An oblate dwarf world in the Kuiper Belt, once visited during the KBEP in 2180. It is notable for its odd shape, red colouration and thin ring system. As of yet no colonies have been built here as its small size and distance hasn't made it warrant enough attention or willing individual to do so.

Makemake

Located in the Kuiper Belt, near Haumea's orbit, Makemake is notable for its reddish appearance. It was visited during the KBEP during 2185, following a recent probe encounter. Only one colony, Easter Outpost, was consturcted during the 2180s by the KBEP's visit to the dwarf planet, studying the icy world and gathering what valubale materials exist there. Easter Outpost was soon abandoned later when the KBEP was completed.

Sedna

A dwarf planet known for its reddish colour, known for having an extremely elongated orbit. Due to its orbit by the solar system’s edge, colonised in 2210 as a mining site for future interstellar missions.

Gonggong

Eris (Destroyed)

Once the furthest dwarf planet, until its sudden destruction during the 2140s. Many speculate it was the result of a warp test that went horribly wrong, others believe something far more sinister was behind it. Today, the ruined husk of the icy world is all that remains, along with Dysnomia. Before its demise, Eris was fully independent, having been home to the Technocracy of Eris, a small isolationist colony that specialised in scientific research, namely interstellar travel capabilities and methods.

Up until the 2120s, thigs seemed normal on Eris, with nothing out of the ordinary until going radio silent during the 2120s, remaining so until the 2140s, when indecipherable transmissions originating from the dwarf planet were detected. Telescopes pointe at the dwarf planet witness what looks to be a cataclysm of unknown nature.

Persephone

Discovered in 2037, Persephone is the true ninth planet of the Sol System, only slightly smaller than Neptune. The existence of a ninth planet had long been speculated due to odd gravitational anomalies within the Kuiper Belt. It is widely believed that Persephone was in fact a rogue planet that was captured by Sol during the past. Persephone has 3 major moons, Melinoe, Zagreus and Dionysus, along with several minor moons.

Oort Cloud

A giant spherical shell of icy planetisimals, comets and rocky debris, serving as the border between Sol and interstellar space. With the exception of ships leaving for interstellar space, there is little to no activity within the Oort Cloud, as the distance and isolation hasn't made it viable for any colonies or outposts. There are of course myths about secret colonies and operations within the Oort Cloud, though these are dismissed as make-believe.

Formation History

The Sun was born out of an interstellar dust cloud, that formed into a protoplanetary disc with planets soon taking shape within.

The early Solar system was very turbulent, with planetary collisions, rampant asteroids and chaotic orbits. It is believed the proto-Earth collided with a Mars-sized object, Theia, the remains of which formed the moon,

Persephone is thought to have been closer to the Sun during the period, likely orbiting between Saturn and Uranus, before an encounter with Jupiter jettisoned it to the outer solar system. Its moons are speculated to be objects that were caught by the planet during its journey.

3.4 billion years ago, Earth and Mars develop oceans, primitive life starting to appear on both worlds. Sadly, Mars lost its magnetic field, its oceans evaporated, destroying any life that had a chance to form. Earth retained its oceans thanks to its active magnetic field and larger size.

Triton is at some point captured by Neptune, becoming a moon of the planet. It is speculated that prior to this, Triton was part of a binary dwarf planet, similar to Pluto and Charon.

700 million years ago, it is likely that Venus had its own seas of liquid water, before its atmosphere started to heat up.

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+Sol (also known simply as "the Sun") is the star at the centre of the Sol System in the [[Orion Arm]] of the Milky Way galaxy.
-{{Solar System|title1=Sol|population=|colonies=Various|capital=[[Earth]] (Historic)
-[[Mars]] (Current)|planets=9.
-[[Mercury]]
-[[Venus]]
-[[Earth]]
-  • [[Luna]]
-[[Mars]]
-  • Phobos
-  • Deimos
-[[Jupiter]]
-  • [[Io]]
-  • [[Europa]]
-  • [[Ganymede]]
-  • [[Callisto]]
-  • 91 other moons
-[[Saturn]]
-  • Mimas
-  • [[Enceladus]]
-  • Tethys
-  • Dione
-  • Rhea
-  • [[Titan]]
-  • Iapetus
-  • 142 minor moons
-[[Uranus]]
-  • Miranda
-  • Ariel
-  • Umbriel
-  • Titania
-  • Oberon
-  • 22 minor moons
-[[Neptune]]
-  • [[Triton]]
-  • 13 minor moons
-[[Persephone]]
-  • Melinoe
-  • Zagreus
-  • Dionysus|diameter=100,000au|faction=[[Solarian Confederation]]|nation=Republic of Cygnus-Orion|current_state=Calm|security=High|human_development_index=0.98|image1=Scr01383.webp|Demonym=Solarian, Solian}}Sol (also known simply as "the Sun") is the star at the centre of the Sol System in the [[Orion Arm]] of the Milky Way galaxy.
 == Overview ==