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 Mass Relay. It currently has the highest population of any Alliance colony.

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. In the past twelve years, Terra Nova has seen a 30% rise in population, and growth does not appear to be slowing.

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.

Trivia

 * Terra Nova means 'New Earth' in Latin.
 * 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 is 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 GearUniverse 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 videogame involve stopping a plot to hurl an asteroid at Terra Nova.
 * According to Mass Effect: Incursion, and contrary to the codex entry that states "growth does not appear to be slowing," the population of Terra Nova has actually decreased since the events of Mass Effect, from 4.4 million to 4,145,412 humans.