User:Garhdo/Sandbox-Planets

= Zeth =

Description
Zeth is a common hydrogen-helium gas giant. An abundance of sulfur in the upper atmosphere gives it distinct yellow stripes.

Mineral Deposits
= Terra Nova =

Description
Terra Nova was one of the Class-1 colonization prospects discovered by the first wave of Alliance surveys in 2150. It was the second human extrasolar colony, and the first beyond the Charon Relay.

Though banded by a harsh equatorial desert, areas closer to the poles are temperate. The pace of development was modest until extensive deposits of platinum were discovered in the 2170s. This rare metal, required in the clean-burning hydrogen cells that power private vehicles, attracted a 'platinum rush' of immigrants and investment from throughout Alliance space. Between 2171 and 2183, Terra Nova saw a 30% rise in population with no sign of slowing. As recently as 2183 it boasted the highest population of any formally endorsed Alliance colony, but in recent years threats of batarian attack caused many to emigrate. The name "Exodus Cluster" became all too apt.

Properties
Terra Nova has no natural satellites; X57 is planned as an artificial one.

Given the orbits of planets Loki and Tyr, the sun Asgard ought to be a twin to Sol and Terra Nova would be about 1.3 AU from it. If Earth were at 1.3 AU from its sun, by the inverse square law it would get 59% of its heat.

Borr at six times Jupiter's mass orbits at 1.7 times Terra Nova's orbit; but since this would be 2.21 AU, even at its closest Borr does not provide enough radiation or raise enough tides to heat Terra Nova anymore. Earlier in the system's history its effects would have been more extreme.

Terra Nova's equatorial desert must have a Bond albedo comparable to that of a water ocean or lower (0.035); further, its atmosphere must hold a high proportion of greenhouse gasses other than water.

Terra Nova is a very dark, basaltic planet with few reflective clouds and high proportions of methane and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. As the desert's edge greens, the planet's albedo will rise, and its temperature will fall accordingly.

The Reaper War
The Reapers landed on Terra Nova after a brief battle with the Alliance's Sixth Fleet. Aware that it would lose, the fleet retreated in hopes of meeting with allies and retaking the planet. Intelligence indicates that the Reaper force here is light, and debate rages over whether to try to liberate the planet, or if such an effort would prove futile if the Reapers sent reinforcements.

Trivia

 * Terra Nova means 'New Earth' in Latin. Of the four planets in the Asgard system, it is the only one not named after a Norse god.
 * The capital, Scott, is likely named after the Arctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott, who commanded the doomed Terra Nova Expedition of 1910.
 * Terra Nova is also the name of one of the first human colonies in Star Trek. The colony was struck by a radioactive asteroid, which mutated the inhabitants of the colony, and contact was lost with the colony around 2081. The colony was rediscovered, along with the effects of the asteroid impact, by the Enterprise in 2151. Also noted is the captain of the Enterprise, played by Scott Bakula, who shares the same name as the colony's capital city.
 * The similarities between Terra Nova of the Mass Effect Universe and the Terra Nova of the Heavy Gear Universe by Dream Pod 9, indicate a possible reference or homage. Both Terra Novas have an equatorial desert, and names of planets/systems nearby echo names of systems/planets in the Heavy Gear universe. Additionally, the events of the second Heavy Gear video game involve stopping a plot to hurl an asteroid at Terra Nova.
 * When selected in the galaxy map, above the description there is exactly the same image which Earth has [1].

= Klendagon =

Description
Klendagon is an arid terrestrial, slightly larger than Earth, but with a lower density that reflects its relative lack of heavier elements. The crust is composed of tin and aluminum, with wide deserts of dust-fine sand that are easily stirred by the wind.

Klendagon's most striking feature is, of course, the Great Rift valley that stretches across the southern hemisphere. What is most fascinating about the Rift is that it does not appear to be natural. The geological record suggests it is the result of a "glancing blow" by a mass accelerator round of unimaginable destructive power. This occurred some thirty-seven million years ago.

It is revealed by the Illusive Man that an Alliance Survey Team discovered that the Great Rift Valley was caused by a strike from a mass accelerator round. The original target of that round was the Derelict Reaper, which was hit and disabled 37 million years ago. No trace remains of the race that fired the round. However, he also indicates that both the weapon and the target have been located, mentioning in passing that the weapon was defunct.

Properties
Its albedo comes out to &minus;1.55, which means that the planet is too hot for its distance from the sun. Its atmosphere likely supports a greenhouse effect.

Trivia

 * Klendagon's artwork, visible from Presrop's surface, is actually a real-life depiction of Mars. The 'Great Rift Valley' &mdash; the massive trench dug into Klendagon from the mass accelerator round &mdash; is actually the Valles Marineris. The same artwork is used for Chohe's moon.
 * When the player decides to scan the planet in Mass Effect 2, a default planet texture is used so the Great Rift Valley cannot be seen.

= Cantra =

Description
A terrestrial world of average size, Cantra's atmosphere is composed of nitrogen and argon. Its frozen surface is mainly composed of tin with deposits of calcium. Aside from some spectacular formations of water-ice at the poles, the planet has little to recommend it.

Properties
Based on size, distance, and lack of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere the calculated albedo is &minus;6.9. Nothing can explain this discrepancy except a mistake in the readings.

Trivia

 * In Mass Effect, this planet is shown as "Canctra" and was renamed "Cantra" in Mass Effect 2. It is unknown why the spelling differs between the games.