Here is the first blog assignment for Geography of Fictional Worlds. The assignment is to use the information in this blog entry to assess the habitability conditions on this terrestrial world. Please reference the lecture notes for essential components that you must asses, including, star type; distance; rotation, axial tilt; composition; ice/water/land ratios; atmosphere; gravity; magnetism; tidal impacts etc.
All the bairns o' Adam 
The planet shown here is much like earth itself despite a few differences in the details. First off the temperate extremes of the planet are unlike anything you would ever see here on Earth, as the maximum temperature is much too high to support any life we are aware of. As well as the minimum temperature, would be much too cold. Assuming these temperature extremes were located in specific places that life would not travel to, the average temperature is just about perfect for sustaining life. The planet also consists of a similar gravimetry to ours and holds a large portion of water and land that would seem suitable for lifeforms to exist on. It’s overall size is much larger than Earth itself. The atmosphere looks about correct and very similar to our very own which is a major component to be considered. The average length of a day is only 4 hours longer than ours, which again just adds to the similarity between this fictional planet and our own.
I do find the proximity of the nearby asteroid belt, as well as its period time to be rather concerning as it seems about every 30 years it could come close to striking distance of the planet, which would complicate life for any organism on the planet. Through the map provided, it seems that the regions most suitable for life are the one’s near the coast. As the middle of the massive portion of land seems to be arctic and higher in elevation. Not too mention there is more green towards the coastal regions which indicates higher plant life. I would assume the portions of white are where the extreme temperatures of cold are located on the planet as well. There seem to be many potential moons for this terrestrial planet as well, with close similarities towards what we have here.
The makeup of this planet also seems strikingly similar to Earth’s composition. There are many similar elements such as oxygen and silicon that make up the planet, which give good reason for a more compatible planet. The fact that its Biosphere consist of carbon based lifeforms and Prokaryotic microbes is perhaps the greatest indicator of similar conditions we experience, as we are composed of the same molecular bonds.
As far as humans like us living there, I feel that it would be a bit of a stretch as some evolutionary adapting would have to come into play for longevity in this planet. Seeing as the gravimetry is higher, our kin may adapt and become smaller with denser bones. Also the fact that there is a little bit higher pressure on this planet may affect how we breath and conduct aerobic activities. Given that we could live here, it wouldn’t seem that it’s much different of a day’s length than earth’s as it is a mere 4 hours longer. Years would be a little bit shorter than they are on Earths, but these are minor nuances of living a pioneer space-life I guess.
I would ultimately say life is possible on this planet, it would be a bit of a lifestyle change for sure but the data shows it’s possible.
Good analysis, the only thing you might want to consider is the impact of switching out argon for nitrogen as the primary non-oxygen gas (argon is heavier and more narcotic than nitrogen).
Based on the information given about 1671 Anurdaha II I believe the planet has a moderate probability of being habitable, depending upon the creature or human wishing to live there. Its complex is similar to that of Earth’s, though not exact percentages they are more similar than any other planet, there are many elements on both of these planets that are comparable. The planet 1671 Anurada II is also a large iron or silicate planet, and has a biosphere of Prokaryotic microbes. The gravity of both Earth and 1671 Anurdaha II are the same which means (as explained in Thursday’s lecture) that a breathable and complex atmosphere can be accomplished. Although the atmosphere indicates that it is breathable, it contains 83.1% argon, which is a very heavy gas, and breathing this gas in could kill humans, although it is mixed with oxygen it would probably take some time before the individual died. The hydrosphere is similar to Earth’s with a high quantity of water and a moderate amount of ice. With these both present this makes for a habitable environment, as seen in the picture it is evident that the source is on the surface. But we do not know of the pH or Eh, thus the drinkability of the water is unknown. The climate is the similar to Earth’s as well with an average temperature of 16 Celsius. With low temperatures and liquid water present the habitability is more likely, for those who can breathe in argon gas. The picture presented of 1671 Anurdaha II shows a large landmass with water on either side of the mass and small bodies of water inland but not on the extreme interior. The interior is mostly foliage but on the extreme (middle) the land mass shows signs of a desert. With the lack of flow of water throughout the land mass the probability that life would be sustainable on the interior is unlikely, unless canals were built. Without these agriculture on the interior is not possible, meaning that the majority of those who inhabited this planet would live on the coast causing overpopulation in these areas, which would not be ideal seeing as there are no other land masses on this planet to move to as there is on Earth. With the presence of metals in the composition of the planet, this would encourage different stages of development. The composition also shows a likelihood of being mobile, but without further knowledge of whether it contains internal heat as described in the Lithosphere notes, is necessary for plate tectonics, and the movement of the metals upward to the surface. Without this development of metals as products is unknown. As described in our nots on Exo-planets this planet would not be considered a “Roaster Planet” as it’s rotation period is only 4.52 hours longer than Earth’s, although the axis tilt is 54.34 degrees would cause the seasons to vary greatly from Earth’s, but without the knowledge of its distance from the sun the seasons lengths cannot be calculated.
Good analysis, especially your acknowledgment of the argon problems and issues with water in the center of the continent.
The first thing I notice about this planet is the extreme weather conditions that occur. Such a steep axial tilt, and therefore greater seasonal swings in temperature than Earth experiences, would make for some very undesirable conditions for life across most of the planet. Most likely, life would need to be either migratory, or located primarily along the equator to avoid such sharp seasonal shifts.
The planet itself has a physical and atmospheric composition quite similar to that of Earth, which is of course a good sign for the possibility of life. Large amounts of iron means the possibility of a magnetic core to help protect the planet, which is close enough to the star to worry about radiation and solar flares. Additionally, large amounts of metals combined with oxygen in the atmosphere would allow for the creation of tools and general metalworking if complex life were to form. Of some concern is how thin the atmosphere is, which could be a challenge for breathing organisms, including humans, though native species could certainly evolve to handle it. Humans would have trouble with such low amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere as well, though for short periods of time it might be ok.
The planet is mainly composed of one large land mass with a steep mountain range down the middle. The first result of this is that the inner continent will most likely be dry since it is such a massive distance from any shore to the center of the continent. Combine dry continental air with steep mountain ranges, enough to result in orographic lifting and the creation of a rain shadow, and a large portion, possibly even half, of the inner continent is going to be a desert, which will only amplify the extreme temperature swings the planet already experiences throughout the year. The other half of the continent, though, should have enough regular rain to result in plenty of vegetation. Most of the islands are close enough to the poles to experience drastic seasonal shifts and cold day to day temperatures, making them less than ideal for habitation, though there are islands closer to the equator that will experience milder weather. The poles themselves most likely have large amounts of freezing and melting each year due to seasonal swings, which could be enough to affect sea level, making living directly on the coast a problem.
Overall, this planet is pretty similar to Earth, but with a considerably steeper tilt and a Pangea-like central landmass. Humans could most likely survive on the planet, though consideration would need to be given towards the seasonal temperature swings and the slightly lower oxygen concentration of the planet, not to mention the argon that the atmosphere is largely composed of. There’s certainly plenty of possibility for native life on the planet, even complex organisms. Another large concern for both humans and native species is the, relatively speaking, limited land mass that would have plenty of water and not experience too great of seasonal changes, though on such a large planet there should still be plenty of land to go around.
Great discussion of the climate impacts of the continental mass and the possibility of sea level variability because of the extreme axial tilt.
STARCOM12HNJ:JAN05/2941CMDR/STINNET/FEDSCICORP/UNSS.COLUMBUS
Sweetie,
It has been at three standard Earth weeks since our arrival to the 1671 Anuradha II system. Our planned exit from the wormhole left us between Anuradha II and III but .5AU above the solar system plane. The rationalization for this point of entry was that we would less likely to been noticed by the native entities of this system. We found out soon after our arrival to the system and subsequent navigation to high orbit that this precaution was entirely unnecessary. The enlisted troopers as usual have nicknamed the local advanced species the “Radhi”. Unfortunately, as usual, they have also provided other names for the other noticed species that are entirely unflattering. I am so glad the Feds have finally dismissed the term “discovered” now if only we could get the Feds to quit sending Marines on these long-range science missions. They only get restless and start causing problems with their continual pranks.
Major Dr. Harsen and her crew have just come back to the fleet with the first field samples and holos from the surface and she hopes to make a preliminary report at tonight’s command meeting. The Admiral can be such a pain in the ass. He ought to give them a few days at least to begin analysis of the data, but no he believes wholly in his biodrones and the haphazard data they collect. Can you believe it took him nearly four days to accept the fact that the shit eaters (what the marines call the semi carnivorous plants) were eating his slugs (biodrones in Marine speak)?
Well dear, I should probably restart this story so that you can follow my frustrations a little easier. As I said we started this “adventure” three days ago when we burrowed into the wormhole at Alpha Centauri in order to make a second tunneling at Betelgeuse. This second leap took us further into the arm towards the galactic core than any other fleet has traveled. The trip here was entirely uneventful even for the pilots with the new Bio-AIs flying the actually piloting the entire trip. Once we got here we spent two days under full power with that awful vibration and screeching of the hull grinding into you at all hours of the day and night.
By day three, we had launched the GPS satellites and the slug plugs in order to begin data gathering for our eventual landing planeside. We lost three GPS units and at least a dozen slug plugs due to various simple mistakes and some truly unfortunate landings for the slugs. In toto, we launched 30,000 plugs each with more than a hundred BDs. We even had the new flying models that look like dragonflies. This is where the trouble began. The first day the BDs were down by 5.6% in number and in most cases, we could not see from the transmitted holos what was destroying them. It took four days for the Admiral to get it through his thick skull that something was killing them. What we found was a sort of plant life that is <1m high that could spit the stickiest protein substance into the air as the BDs flew or crawled past essentially immobilizing them. The airborne ones would crash because the substance was also very heavy along with this gooiness. The actual slugs would be stuck as the protein rained down and as it dried, they would become cemented in place.
We did not discover this until the third Marine recon party came back from the surface after visiting a particularly marshy area. They spent one whole day on the surface (28+ standard hours) recording data and clearing a real landing area for Doc Harsens craft. Can you believe they went down in full combat suits and even brought a heavy plasma gun “just in case”? As much as I like lieutenant Crom, I still think he is a moron. The only thing they killed was the first Radhi the met. One of the troopers fell asleep in his 300Kg suit, the motors shut down and he fell onto the Radhi’s burrow crushing the poor thing to death. The worst part was that it was budding and had four young forming along its dorsal ridge.
This planet is so large but much of it is uninhabited by anything larger that a grain of sand. The one Radhi that died was brought back to the ship for study along with a few of the plants. The trooper that was sent to collect the plant samples was so covered by the protein sprays that his armor locked up. The rest of the platoon had to use a magnetic tether to haul him away from the spot and they actually used an improvised flamethrower to harden and char the goo from the suit. Lucky for him it happened in the middle of the morning when his friends were able to dismantle the suit around him because it gets too cold at night and too hot in the afternoon for survival.
I had lunch with the Harsens when Doc returned shipside she has spotted a village of sorts that the Radhi have deep in the marsh where the thick short trees keep the temperature more constant. The way she described it reminded me of the swallow houses back on earth when they would make nests in the side of the gravel piles down at the old quarry behind your uncles house. They only were able to stay in that location for a few hours but left behind a few of the older plastic/metal drones because the local plant life will not eat those. The few plants that did eat the BDs have all died and we are still trying to figure out why. It seems that the plants have a symbiotic relationship with some microbe (or similar) that lives in the soil. The places where the DBs died are turning green, they are orange when viewed through color correction glasses. The “shit eaters” plants seem to consume anything that comes within spitting range and the microbes—or whatever they are—seem to dwell within this same spitting range. My assistant Tully, you met him last spring, thinks that the goo has a nutrient in it for the microbes since the pathways inside the plant have one way valves the stop fluid from going back to the base.
Carl says hi and wants me to send holos of all of the carapaces he has found around the dead shit eaters for our boys and his. Can you message Tom and arrange a get together for next week when we send the first data plug back through the burrow? Let me know so that Carl can prepare some really HD scans in time. If it does not work out with Tom, we will bring holos, samples, and more when we return next month.
So far, we have counted and recorded at least two different shit eater species (Carl said he is trying to think of a more polite name), the Radhi, seven different types of carapaces, and maybe a fish. We are not sure if the carapaces are from seven species or if they are different stages of the same species. One of the troopers said he saw one at the shoreline but we could not see it through his helmet holo. I have attached some of Harsens sketches of our finds, she still has a source for real wood pencils but refuses to tell me where. She said the Radhi have six different lungs and thigh bones like an elephant.
So three weeks into our mission the 400+ troopers, techs, scientists, etc.…have covered less than 400km2 of landmass. The BDs have covered about 2000km2 but there sensors are so limited that it’s almost not worth the hassle of bringing them along. This along with the dramatic temperature swings and the relatively hostile plant life really limits the possibility of ever colonizing this planet.
Well it is time for the command meeting so I will have to end this note for now. Read this to the boys with a few edits. Miss you sexy man!
Brilliant combination of information and entertainment…It’s just a shame your “official” log reports can’t be as colorful, the Fed Science Survey doesn’t know what it’s missing. 🙂
Taking into consideration the description of 1671Anuradha II in order to evaluate the habitability conditions on this terrestrial world, I am convinced that this planet has some characteristics similar to those earth possesses that make them suitable for life to develop and others that make them a little difficult, but not impossible, for life to take place. Human-like-people inhabiting this planet may get used to some of these, non-usual-earth components, through the passage of time and the process of natural selection.
Like earth, 1671 Anuradha II has water, which is one of the most important elements in order to sustain life. Its composition also has a high percentage of iron that could help develop societies like it did for humans on earth. The presence of iron in this planet may also suggest the creation itself of a magnetic field, which can explain the existence of poles (north and south of the map provided on the blog).
The existence of green in coastal areas may suggest there is enough light from an energy emitting system (like the sun) for vegetation to go trough the process of photosynthesis and develop accordingly. Thanks to this vegetation, living beings from this planet will have access to grains, vegetables and fruits. Wood is also one of the items derived from vegetation that can help societies develop.
Extreme temperatures seem to be taking place in the middle of the continental crust of the map, this might be due to these areas are located away from the sea, therefore absorbing and releasing heat in a more rapid way. Extreme temperatures may also imply that 1671 Anuradha II might be close to the sun or it has a thin ozone layer. It is obvious that it is difficult for life to develop and sustain at these extreme temperatures. The opposite will happen in areas where the average temperature is 16 C.
The presence of carbon is quite helpful in the development and existence of living organisms since they can bind to other elements and form complex chain molecules. The presence of carbon in the atmosphere also helps to the absorption of energy what can be helpful to warm up this planet when extreme low temperatures take place. The presence of the carbon in the air can also be harmful for organisms living this planet when extreme high temperatures occur, since the absorbed energy could heat the planet when extreme high temperatures take place even more.
Axial tilt on 1671 Anuradha II is 54.34 degrees, which would be approximately 31 degrees more axial inclination than earth. This means that compared to earth this planet will have great climate seasonal variations. An evaluation to assess how much seasons vary from one to the other has to be done in order to estimate its impact and what would be needed for living beings in this planet to adapt.
Gravity in this planet is greater than that of the earth; therefore physical activities such as moving around would require more physical effort, since it will keep things more attached to the ground. Again, these are variables that living beings on this planet may get used through adaptation and natural selection.
In conclusion 1671 Anuradha II has similar characteristics to the ones earth has. However, an evaluation of those characteristics that are different has to be carried out in order to determine what will be needed to face these differences and be able to adapt as fast a possible.
Good analysis, bear in mind even if there is oxygen in the atmosphere, the other gases in the atmosphere will also have an impact on the life-forms.
1671 Anuradha II
With slight larger differentiations in dimensions when compared Earth — mass of 3.58 x 10^25, density of 5.73 g/cm cube, land area of 852,000,000 km square, and surface area of 1,640,000,000 km square —, 1671 Anuradha II, like Earth, is orbiting its star in what is known to scientists as the Habitable Zone, which creates the “Goldilocks Effect” —not to close to its star to be too hot and not to far from it to be too cold. However, this Orange star is slightly smaller, has less mass, less luminosity and temperature than our Sun:
Sun KSV Orange Main Sequence
mass: 1.989 x 10^30 Kg mass: 1.29 x 10^30 kg
radius: 696,300 km radius: 585,000 km
luminosity: 3.846 x 10^26 W luminosity: 1.26 x^26 W
temperature: 5,778 K temperature: 4,100 K
Although Anuradha (Hindi for “Bright Star”) is the “Habitable Zone”, said planet is unlike Earth in its position and distance from the Sun. Earth is the “3rd rock from the Sun” as we have come to know it, whereas Anuradha is just 2nd planet from its star which maybe it helps to compensate for the differentiation in radiation output from a smaller and less hot star.
Due to the physical composition of Anuradha — mostly Iron (42.2%) and Silica (16.8%) — it is to be assumed that the planet possesses a very strong magnetic field that helps in the protection against solar winds and the such. Such magnetic filed also may be beneficial in protecting any orbiting satellite which could be the introductory point for colonization of the planet.
1671 Anuradha II is a Terrestrial World with known lifeforms (Prokarotic Microbes) similar to Earth. Introduced life can flourish with a certain degree of genetic molecular adaptation to survive in controlled and maintained artificial environments. Consideration must be carefully weighed and taken understanding said planet has a gravitational force of 18.23 m/seconds square, which is greater that Earth’s own gravitational force, and that its escape velocity (20.41 km/s) is also greater than Earth’s. Any native creature that is airborne, if any, would have the necessary adaptations to navigate in such gravitational pull. If this planet was to be colonized by any species of advanced humanoids, said humanoids and their beasts of burden, if any, would have to compensate for the difference in gravitational force exerted on their bodies, and their airborne natural and manufactured technology would have to be manipulated to produce results in such gravity.
On Earth, having a 78% Nitrogen based atmosphere helps protect the surface from celestial objects that may break through the atmosphere by creating sufficient friction (ablation) of the object mass to decrease its size and in most cases contribute to total disintegration before reaching the surface. However, 1671 Anuradha II’s atmosphere is 83.1 % Argon, which is less dense than Nitrogen and I’m not familiar with its ablation capacity within the atmosphere and how it would help to protect the surface from celestial impacts.
Although there are many similarities between 1671 Anuradha II and Earth, there is a very marked difference between this planet and Earth: the axial tilt. Earth’s axial tilt is approximately 23.5 degrees whereas the axial tilt of 1671 Anuradha II is 54.34 degrees. Such tilt creates a very extreme change in seasons, temperature and weather patterns. Anything between latitudes 40 degrees North/South and 50 degrees North/South would experience, twice a year, 28.54 hours of constant sunlight or darkness. This extreme tilt also would cause very hot summers (176 degrees F) and very cold winters (-211 degrees F). Such extreme changes in temperature are likely to create massive hurricanes, thunderstorms, hailstorms, snowfall, ice formation and thawing that could create catastrophic consequences to colonizers…unless, the colonies are developed underground.
Can this planet be inhabitable? Yes. The present of oxygen in the atmosphere as well of water in the surface can make it a good temporary home for any colonizing intergalactic specie that can master the challenges that such environment can issue. I believe that an underground artificially pressurized and controlled environment and gravity could be a perfect solution to the colonization of 1671 Anuradha II.
Very good analysis, very thorough and lots of details, very nice work.
Sorry for the repeat but there were some things that were messed up when i transferred the file from my computer to WordPress. Corrections have been made.
1671 Anuradha II
With slight larger differentiations in dimensions when compared Earth — mass of 3.58 x 10^25, density of 5.73 g/cm cube, land area of 852,000,000 km square, and surface area of 1,640,000,000 km square —, 1671 Anuradha II, like Earth, is orbiting its star in what is known to scientists as the Habitable Zone, which creates the “Goldilocks Effect” —not to close to its star to be too hot and not to far from it to be too cold. However, this Orange star is slightly smaller, has less mass, less luminosity and temperature than our Sun:
Sun
mass: 1.989 x 10^30 Kg
radius: 696,300 km
luminosity: 3.846 x 10^26 W
temperature: 5,778 K
KSV Orange Main Sequence
mass: 1.29 x 10^30 kg
radius: 585,000 km
luminosity: 1.26 x^26 W
temperature: 4,100 K
Although Anuradha (Hindi for “Bright Star”) is the “Habitable Zone”, said planet is unlike Earth in its position and distance from the Sun. Earth is the “3rd rock from the Sun” as we have come to know it, whereas Anuradha is just 2nd planet from its star which maybe it helps to compensate for the differentiation in radiation output from a smaller and less hot star.
Due to the physical composition of Anuradha — mostly Iron (42.2%) and Silica (16.8%) — it is to be assumed that the planet possesses a very strong magnetic field that helps in the protection against solar winds and the such. Such magnetic filed also may be beneficial in protecting any orbiting satellite which could be the introductory point for colonization of the planet.
1671 Anuradha II is a Terrestrial World with known lifeforms (Prokarotic Microbes) similar to Earth. Introduced life can flourish with a certain degree of genetic molecular adaptation to survive in controlled and maintained artificial environments. Consideration must be carefully weighed and taken understanding said planet has a gravitational force of 18.23 m/seconds square, which is greater that Earth’s own gravitational force, and that its escape velocity (20.41 km/s) is also greater than Earth’s. Any native creature that is airborne, if any, would have the necessary adaptations to navigate in such gravitational pull. If this planet was to be colonized by any species of advanced humanoids, said humanoids and their beasts of burden, if any, would have to compensate for the difference in gravitational force exerted on their bodies, and their airborne natural and manufactured technology would have to be manipulated to produce results in such gravity.
On Earth, having a 78% Nitrogen based atmosphere helps protect the surface from celestial objects that may break through the atmosphere by creating sufficient friction (ablation) of the object mass to decrease its size and in most cases contribute to total disintegration before reaching the surface. However, 1671 Anuradha II’s atmosphere is 83.1 % Argon, which is less dense than Nitrogen and I’m not familiar with its ablation capacity within the atmosphere and how it would help to protect the surface from celestial impacts.
Although there are many similarities between 1671 Anuradha II and Earth, there is a very marked difference between this planet and Earth: the axial tilt. Earth’s axial tilt is approximately 23.5 degrees whereas the axial tilt of 1671 Anuradha II is 54.34 degrees. Such tilt creates a very extreme change in seasons, temperature and weather patterns. Anything between latitudes 40 degrees North/South and 50 degrees North/South would experience, twice a year, 28.54 hours of constant sunlight or darkness. This extreme tilt also would cause very hot summers (176 degrees F) and very cold winters (-211 degrees F). Such extreme changes in temperature are likely to create massive hurricanes, thunderstorms, hailstorms, snowfall, ice formation and thawing that could create catastrophic consequences to colonizers…unless, the colonies are developed underground.
Can this planet be inhabitable? Yes. The present of oxygen in the atmosphere as well of water in the surface can make it a good temporary home for any colonizing intergalactic specie that can master the challenges that such environment can issue. I believe that an underground artificially pressurized and controlled environment and gravity could be a perfect solution to the colonization of 1671 Anuradha II.
No problem
Considering all the details and specifics of 1671 Anuradha II, I have concluded that inhabiting the planet is possible but with very important considerations to keep in mind before attempting to do so. The main-sequence dwarf star at the center of 1671 Anuradha II’s solar system is relatively similar in size to Earth’s, albeit smaller in size and with less heat output. The K-type series of main-sequence stars is interesting when considering the habitability of planets as these stars are stable on the main sequence for 15-30 billion years (outlasting our own Sun by at least 5 billion years). Using the University of Washington Habitable Zone calculator, I concluded that the planet lies within the circumstellar habitable zone of its central star but closer to the innermost edge. Because this planet is second in orbit and much closer to the star, the lesser output of heat is balanced out.
The planet itself is similar to Earth in many ways but in more extreme terms. Considering land area and mass, this planet is roughly six times larger than Earth but with similar conditions on the ground. The density of each planet is roughly the same and both have large bases of iron and silicate. The planet’s gravity is almost twice as much as the Earths but would maintain an atmosphere on the planet’s surface. The gravity, however, would affect the possibilities for human life on the planet as we are really only evolutionarily equipped for our gravity. The composition of this planet’s atmosphere is similar to earth’s makeup but it would take a special kind of lifeform or adapted human being to adjust to the thin breathable air and the drops in argon and oxygen levels of this planet. The planet has a similar hydrosphere to Earth and its large amounts of water (assuming it is, in fact, drinkable) would satisfy inhabitants but judging from the image of the planet’s surface, all air-breathing inhabitants would have to be located fairly close to coastlines as the surface land of the planet is mostly concentrated as a large supercontinent that wraps the entirety of the planet. Unless the weather systems of the planet allow for large amounts of rainfall in the interior of the planet, that region is seemingly uninhabitable. Also a weather system like that seems unlikely as an atmosphere so similar to our own would mean that rain clouds would rarely make it that far interior. Judging by the axial tilt of the planet, life would be hard to maintain very far north or south of the equator as season would be changing drastically. My best guess for the safest zone for inhabitants would be near the equator of the planet and within 250 miles of the coastline to maximize the amounts of rainfall and water systems but avoid the colder and higher-elevated interior and rough coastlines of the planet. It’s hard to make an ultimate judgement call of whether or not human life would be able to be maintained at the level we are used to but the possibility for some forms of advanced life are there. Ultimately more information concerning plate tectonics and statistics on the planets core would make for a more thorough diagnosis of the planet’s capabilities.
Good thorough analysis , especially of the climate effects on the supercontinent.
At first glance, this planet has a variety of characteristics that seem to provide obstacles to the development of complicated or even type one or two intelligent life. While the question is not that the planet can or cannot support life-it seems obvious from the planetary description provided that there are at the very least prokaryotic life forms (a unicellular simple life form with no nucleus) present on the surface, albeit in quantities unknown. On the other hand, descriptive planetary information asides, it must be noted that this planet, to put it simply, looks mighty lifelike. Assuming that the colors are not counter-intuitive and correlating to a rather off-putting green ocean of some nature and a blue tinged landmass, the planet in fact in many respects resembles earth in color to some degree, indicating perhaps a similarity in the aspect of harboring more advanced, eukaryotic life forms as well, or at the very least a most widespread display of bacteria, etc.
Looking back to the planetary data and the image provided, one immediately notes that the temperature range provided for the planet is much more extreme than Earth-proffering maximum and especially minimum temperatures much in excess of those of our planet. At the same time, however, given the much more pronounced axial tilt of 1671 Anuradha II and the dramatically increased size, along with the argon atmosphere, it is only logical to assume that heat retention is still very much a reality in many areas of the planet that are topographically and latitudinally predisposed towards more surface warming. In this the argon dominant atmosphere is of significant importance, as it is going to be much more heat retentive than an atmosphere like Earth’s would be.
In many of these areas, which are much more likely to occur in towards the equator of the planet in opposition to the significant polar ice caps, it is possible that temperatures conducive to the development of and evolution of life could be maintained for a sufficiently long period of time. The star in the system, excluding the extraneous red dwarf at the fringes of the system, seems given the data provided to be a K-type star, which are of particular interest to searchers for extraterrestrial life given their prolonged lifespan in the main sequence which can be more than double that of a Sol-type star, therefore allowing more time for life to potentially evolve and flourish. Additionally, K-type stars give off less ultraviolet radiation, which would only up the chances for something to occur. Again, while it is unlikely that the entire planet is habitable, major, even earth sized, sections of its significant landmass may be viable for the development of or habitation by eukaryotic life forms. On the other hand, however, despite the favorable nature of the star, the lack of a large body in the solar system such as Jupiter in the Sol system might lead to a relative over-abundance of extinction level impact events on 1671 Anuradha II, as there is no “safety blanket” to gravitationally deflect or attract incoming space debris.
The continental layout of the planet also bears keeping in mind when discussing the potential habitability of the planet in regard to more advanced (let us say colonizing human) life. The interior of the main continent is unlikely to be very pleasant, given that the reach of the more limited hydrosphere is unlikely to extend so far into the middle of such a vast continent. Additionally, the extreme axial tilt would likely lead to rather intense seasonal variations, which when kept in mind when looking at the temperature data for the planet, might indicate extreme temperature variations even in more potentially “mild” locales. In fact, what could be imagined to be a colorful delineation of the more dry areas is clearly visible, as the colors of the main continent shift distinctively from dark green at the borders of the continent to an increasingly more desert like brown/gray/ice white as you move inland. Without knowing the atmospheric conditions of the planet and more specific facts about how it rotates, wind belts, etc., hazarding a precise guess on more specific habitable locales seems overly speculative.
In the end, this planet would surely, if found, immediately take precedence in the scientific community’s search for extraterrestrial life, given its favorable conditions. Despite its obstacles, there seem to be without doubt significant portions of its landmass that would be able to maintain temperatures within a range to allow life to develop and evolve beyond mere prokaryotic life forms.
Very good analysis, I like your emphasis on the stellar characteristics.
The star of this system is a main sequence star, with a lifetime long enough to potentially develop indigenous intelligent life, and a mass 65% of that of our sun. The habitable zone for this star is between .50 and .72 astronomical units (rounded to the second decimal place.) The second world in the system (Anuradha II) has an orbital radius of .61 astronomical units, which means it is exactly in the middle of the habitable zone, putting it in prime position for the retention of an atmosphere and liquid water.
The atmosphere contains mostly argon and oxygen, where the atmosphere of Earth contains nitrogen and oxygen. The lack of nitrogen would drastically affect the workings of any ecosystem that might develop on the planet by removing most of the nitrogen used in the nitrogen cycle. Organisms would have to use a different method for obtaining usable nitrogen compounds than relying on nitrogen-fixing from the atmosphere. The composition of the planet itself contains large amounts of iron, which would create a strong magnetic field to prevent harmful radiation from the star from penetrating the atmosphere.
There is liquid water on the planet, but much of the planet’s water is contained in ice around the poles. It may be that fresh water is not available in abundance and potential colonists would have to develop a way to distill ocean water. The fact that most of the land is concentrated in one mass means that most of the continent will experience a high level of contrast between seasonal temperatures. What appears to be a mountain range in the middle of the continent will cause one side of the continent to be much drier than the other, due to orographic lifting.
The range of temperatures on the planet is much greater than on earth. The extreme difference is explained not only by continentality, but also by the high degree of axial tilt, which would lead to pronounced seasonal variation in temperatures. (On a side note, I am curious how the axial tilt affects the planet’s large polar ice caps.) Any potential colonists or indigenous sentient species would have to find a way to deal with the extreme changes in temperature over the course of the year. As a solution, I suggest a nomadic culture which would migrate north to south along the coastline of the continent. Such a lifestyle would undoubtable have effects on the resources available at any given time, leading to marked seasonal changes in the availability of certain types of food and nutrients, and allowing even the most primitive of cultures access to a variety of fibers for the production of clothing. Historically on Earth, most cultures were limited to one or possibly two fibers, until they began to develop civilizations that could expand their territory geographically and trade with other societies. On a planet where all cultures have access to a variety of fibers depending on the time of year, the social prestige associated with certain fibers (e.g. silk on Earth, or cotton before it became widely available in Europe) would be removed, and a different means of indicating social status would emerge.
The second world of the star Anuradha is almost certainly habitable, but such habitation would be markedly different from life as we know it on Earth, necessitating evolutionary adaptations by the indigenous lifeforms that would render the ecosystem quite unfamiliar to us, and a high level of innovation by in colonists in order to cope with the extreme temperatures and other obstacles.
Well done, very nice analysis of the potential effects of seasonality on any advanced indigenous life.
While Anuradha receives less warming radiation than Earth due to the star type, it’s shorter distance—-closer to the sun—-and shorter period may somewhat ameliorate some of the dissimilarities to Earth’s seasons. Despite its axial tilt and short period seeming to cause a significant amount of frozen water at the poles, liquid water and the presence of oxygen indicates the possibility of developing life similar to Earth.
The presence of oxygen is necessary for the formation of ozone in the atmosphere coupled with the solar winds of the two binary stars (even the distant one will have some effect) could prevent radiation that can potentially harm the evolution of single- and certainly multi-celled organisms. While only prokaryotic, carbon-based microbes are known to exist, it seems likely that the greening of the land masses is due to photosynthetic properties of lichen-like organisms which in the case of Earth occur in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic forms. The shape of the continents, planet rotation and brief planetary period seem to indicate (along with the greening in the image) that conditions are favorable to plant-like life. The most likely scenario is that life based on solar insolation is adapted to mild to cold winds throughout the seasons.
The presence of both argon and oxygen on an iron-rich world indicate it’s possible utility in metal working. Both gasses are used in decarburization processes. The iron and silicate composition coupled with the presence of mountain formations in the center of the continent may indicate plate tectonic mechanics in action which is a necessary component in out-gassing and planet evolution leading towards more complex life. Also important is the capability of the planet to self-generate magnetic poles and some shielding against solar flares—-if tectonic activity is present. Transforming the planet into a sustainable human atmosphere might be accomplished through biomechanical engineering and seeding or ocean-based, argon-consuming organisms, but the gravity would not be compatible with easy and utilitarian bipedal movement.
On account of the continentality of the planet (one main continent), it seems unlikely that tidal force would have a significant impact on both sides. Considerable impact from solar tides due to the binary stars is likely to occur on a semi-regular, seasonal basis which may lead to more complex life developing on its eastern beach areas since where any organisms adapted to such variability are likely to have the greatest survival chances leading towards a rather unique evolutionary track. My hypothesis is that the gravity will tend to trend the development of more complex, multi-cell organisms towards a semi-aquatic lifestyle with reproduction based on opposing binary tidal forces where tides are more frequent, but whose amplitudes are shorter. This would lead to regular perturbation of high and low tide beach areas as well as longer solar insolation periods (warmer temperatures).
Overall, I would say the planet is comparable to an early Pangaea state. It is unlikely that any significant storms with electrical activity are occurring (even though argon-lightning would be a fantastic neon blue) and causing fires among the limited life on the planet. Once larger, photosynthetic life develops, fires from storms may begin to shift the atmosphere towards a more similar Earth one with carbon dioxide, though it seems the planet has very little nitrogen in its composition (even in the crust) for tectonic and biological activity to create an even more Earth-life atmosphere.
Really nice analysis – especially of the stellar characteristics and impacts on tidal forces. Nice work.
1671 Anuradha II is a terrestrial planet which is somewhat similar to Earth but there are a number of differences between the two. First, Anuradha is roughly six times bigger than Earth although the density is quite similar to one another. The base of both planets contain a base of iron and silicate, Anarudha’s base mostly made up of 42.2% Iron and 16.8% Silicate. The magnetic field is very strong which allows protection from radiation, solar winds and solar flares and because the planet is made up of oxygen and has a considerable amount of metals, it is good for making advanced tools for intelligent life forms.
Anuradha is within the habitable zone and orbits a star that is fairly like Earth’s star but is considerably smaller with a mass of 1.29×10^30 kg (.65 x sol) and a radius of 5.84×10^5 km (.84 x sol). Earth’s sun is classified as a G type Yellow Dwarf Main Sequence whereas Anuradha’s star is a k5 V Orange Main Sequence with slightly less luminosity of 1.26×10^26W (.33 x sol). Considering the difference in size between the two stars, Anuradha is habitable because it is closer to the star as opposed to the Earth which is the third planet and much further away from the sun.
The axial tilt of Anuradha is 54.34 degrees which causes a drastic change in seasons, extreme temperatures and dramatic weather patterns. Because the planet is exceedingly tilted, colonization would need to be established close to the equatorial line. The weather along the equator is more consistent, less severe and much more habitable. When one begins to move away from the equator, the seasons are very harsh with intense heat during the summers and very cold winters. As one ventures closer to the poles, they will find that in different times of the year, days will either experience an abundant amount of sunlight or a substantial amount of darkness. The terrain is made up of one main land mass and because it is so large, the center of the content would be dry. There even appears to be a desert area in the interior of the content due to it’s distance from water supply. Because this reasoning of the wet air and potential for vegetation, natural instinct might drive one to establish a colony directly along the coast. But the poles appear to drastically freeze and melt, which majorly effects the coastal line as the water rises and falls. Inhabitants would most likely do best along the equatorial line and somewhat close to the coast because of the rainfall and wet air but also keep in mind that some distance from the ocean is required so as to avoid the drastically changing tides.
Organism are able to live on the planet because the breathable atmosphere and the carbon in the biosphere. The escape velocity (20.41 km/second) and gravitational pull (18.23 m/second) are both stronger than the escape velocity and gravitational force of Earth’s. Living organisms would have had to evolve to survive on Anuradha and humans who visit the planet would have a more difficult time breathing, but could ultimately adapt to all of the changes.
Nice analysis, a little discussion of the impacts of having argon replacing nitrogen as the primary inert gas would have been helpful, otherwise very well done.