Ngc 604 - Blog Posts
Oculus System - Post 3 (Cratered Wasteland)
The system’s third planet is a nearly airless Mars-sized world, heavily cratered world. The planet orbits 1.19 AU from the sun, has a mass of just 8.6% that of Earth and roughly half of Earth’s diameter. A tenuous carbon dioxide atmosphere clings to the surface with a surface press of just 1/100,000th that of Earth. Surface temperatures can reach the boiling point of water during the day, and fall nearly -300 °F at night.
High Resolution Pics
Picture 1 - Mercury-like planet
Picture 2 - Two small satellites
Picture 3 - A view from a moon
Picture 4 - Setting Sun.
Picture 5 - Broken Crater
Picture 6 - From just 10 km above the surface.
Picture 7 - The Surface
Oculus System - Post 1 (Introduction)
We are now inside the giant NGC 604 Nebula. I’ve come across this wide binary system consisting of a F4 giant that is almost 16 times brighter than Earth’s sun and a smaller, but still bright G0V type star more than twice the brightness of Sol. The first worlds I am exploring are the ones orbiting the smaller or secondary of the two stars.
Descriptions of the planet’s to follow in the next post.
Space Engine System ID: RS 1229-171-5-23517-58
High Resolution Pics
Picture 1 - Inner-most Planet
Picture 2 - Surface
Picture 3 - Warm Ice-Giant
Picture 4 - System's fourth planet from a satellite
Picture 5 - Double occultation of two moons
Picture 6 - World with Ethane Oceans
Picture 7 - Setting distant 2nd sun
O’Sirus System - Post 2 (Weird Life)
The System’s 6th planet, and first world I’ve come across in my journey that has life on the surface. This is one odd life-supporting world. It is a small world, roughly the size of Mars, but only half of Mars’ mass, with a low average density. The atmosphere is 99.8% carbon dioxide and 0.2% oxygen, with a thickness only 4% that of Earth’s atmosphere. The surface has an average temperature of 181 K or -133 °F. And it has one large moon in orbit.
Unfortunately Space Engine only shows life as coloring on the planet’s surface; therefore, I have no idea what form or appearance it has. Based off of the temperatures and atmospheric composition, this the life likely has has a low metabolic rate that uses a liquid other than just water to metabolize, possibly an Eutectic Water-Ammonia solution. Carbon-based if feasible, but involves significantly different chemistry than we are familiar with. The purple coloring likely an adaptation to utilize the low sunlight levels and probably uses primarily red or near infrared light for photosynthesis.
High Resolution Pics
Picture 1 - Planet and Moon
Picture 2 -
Picture 3 - The Equator
Picture 4 - Northern Ice Cap
Picture 5 - Planet, Moon, Sun, Inner Planets and Andromeda
Picture 6 - The Surface
Picture 7 - Moon and Nebula Rising