Delta Pavonis

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Delta Pavonis
Stellar characteristics
ConstellationPavo
Right ascension (Epoch J2000)20h 08m 43.6084s
Declination (Epoch J2000)-66° 10' 55.446"
Spectral typeG8 IV
Distance from Sol19.92 ± 0.08 ly
Other designationsDel Pav, HD 190248, HR 7665, CD-66°2367, CP(D)-66 3474, GCTP 4754, Gl 780, LHS 485, SAO 254733, FK5 754, LTT 7946, LFT 1520, NSV 12790, HIP 99240
PlanetsHelheim (Delta Pavonis I)
Alfheim (Delta Pavonis II)
Midgard (Delta Pavonis III)
Yggdrasil (Delta Pavonis IV)
  • Tannhauser Gate
Asgard (Delta Pavonis V)
Vanaheim (Delta Pavonis VI)
Svartalfheim (Delta Pavonis VII)
Nidavellir (Delta Pavonis VIII)
Jotunheim (Delta Pavonis IX)
Niflheim (Delta Pavonis X)
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Delta Pavonis is a yellow-orange main sequence dwarf star of spectral and luminosity type G5-8 V-IV. This star has about 1.1 times Sol's mass[1], 1.06 times its diameter[2], and about 1.18 times its luminosity. The star may be 95 percent to 2.7 times as enriched as Sol with elements heavier than hydrogen ("metallicity") based on its abundance of iron[3], but although probably older than Sol, its exact age is uncertain[4]. It has a New Suspected Variable designation NSV 12790 and appears to be unusually bright for its spectral type, and so may be becoming a subgiant star that is beginning to evolve off the main sequence, as it begins to fuse the increasing amounts of helium "ash" mixed with hydrogen at its core. Since Delta Pavonis is fairly similar to our Sun, many speculate whether it might contain planets that harbor life.

(Boilerplate taken from SolStation.com)

The Delta Pavonis System

The Delta Pavonis system consists of ten planets (under the current IAU criteria for such things), a partially-disrupted asteroid belt between planets five and six, as well as numerous dwarf planets, comets and other assorted debris. Navigation in the inner system is as clear of small debris as Sol. The star's Cochrane line lies at roughly 43 AU from the primary, though depending on vector this may be temporarily disrupted by the outermost planet.

The system was first charted and photographed by the Soviet Air Force during their 2013 expedition.

Helheim

The innermost planet is a lump of nickel-iron similar in composition to Mercury and on a similar star-grazing orbit.

Alfheim

Orbiting too close to Delta Pavonis to retain much water, Alfheim is a 'hot Mars' world. Unlike Mars, Alfheim still possesses a substantial nitrogen-carbon dioxide atmosphere, which keeps the surface temperature a toasty 150C. Alfheim has one moon, Skidbladnir, a chunk of rock 160 km across that probably started life as a near-solar asteroid.

Midgard

Despite being named for the mortal world, Midgard is nothing particularly exciting or hospitable. A rocky world with no substantial atmosphere, Midgard is only exciting when put up against Helheim or Alfheim.

Yggdrasil

The only inhabitable world in the Delta Pavonis system, Yggdrasil is a temperate world with a greater axial tilt than Earth, leading to stronger and more pronounced seasonal variation. Climate is a bit cooler and drier than Earth's, with much of the planet's water locked up in polar glacier fields. The interiors of the major continental landmasses are largely scrub desert, while the coastal areas and areas near rivers are dominated by fields of grass-analogues.

Evidence obtained by the Soviet expedition indicates that Yggdrasil was much wetter and more pleasant within the last few thousand years, until the planet experienced a series of impact events (how many is unknown, but at least one K-T Event-scale impact, and possibly more) within a very short timeframe. These impacts caused a massive dieback of Yggdrasil's preexisting biosphere, and apparently also triggered the global cooling event that locked the planet into its current state. Based on the Soviet survey, experts believe the biosphere entered a recovery state within the last 1,000 years and is recolonizing areas left barren by the impacts.

Yggdrasil has three moons: Urthur, Verthandi and Skuld. All three are small, metal-poor worlds similar to Luna in composition and size. Skuld is the innermost moon, roughly the same diameter as Ceres, and only interesting because of what is orbiting at its Lagrange-1 point.

Tannhauser Gate

Full article: Tannhauser Gate
An artifact of unknown origin, Tannhauser Gate has been orbiting at the Yggdrasil-Skuld L1 point for at least the last five thousand years.[5] The object is a hexagonal ring with an inner diameter of twelve kilometers and a cross-section of 150m. It is composed of a mixture of basic light metals (mostly titanium and nickel), two transuranic elements previously unknown outside of high-energy particle accelerators, and an alien and seemingly inert strain of handwavium.

Asgard

A gas giant in the Jupiter size range, Asgard is largely unremarkable save for its orbit. Asgard's orbit is slightly more eccentric than most known gas giants, and by virtue of that is remarkably close when it comes into conjunction with Yggdrasil. It's believed that this proximity destabilizes moons and other debris in orbit around Asgard and eventually causes bombardment events on Yggdrasil.

Vanaheim

A smaller gas giant than Asgard, Vanaheim is an otherwise unremarkable butterscotch-colored world with an extensive system of small, icy moons.

Svartalfheim

Svartalfheim is an ice dwarf of no particular interest on a highly inclined orbit that suggests that it may once have been a moon of Asgard or Vanaheim that was ejected during the early formation of the Delta Pavonis system. It may once have had a subsurface ocean like Europa, Ganymede or Callisto, but the lack of tidal or solar heating has likely frozen Svartalfheim down to the core.

Nidavellir

A world of rock orbiting beyond Delta Pavonis' snow line, Nidavellir is an interesting puzzle. The planet has a light 'dusting' of ices and ammonia snow common to most snow line objects, but core samples taken by the Soviet expedition suggest that the interior is largely dry and free of volatiles.

Jotunheim

The third gas giant in the Delta Pavonis system, Jotunheim again is not especially remarkable. It's position well past the snow line gives it a deep blue color punctuated by thin clouds of methane. Larger than Asgard and Vanaheim, it has a collection of moons. One Jotun moon, Utgard-Loki, is a Mars-sized ice planet with a deep nitrogen atmosphere similar to Titan.

Niflheim

The largest gas giant in the system, Niflheim lies beyond the star's Cochrane line, deep in the local Kupier belt. Believed to be a wandering rogue captured by Delta Pavonis' gravity in the distant past, Niflheim wanders on a long eccentric orbit around Pavonis. Interestingly enough, it has no large moons, only a few small asteroid-sized stragglers apparently pulled from the local Kuiper and Oort during its wanderings.

Closest Neighbors

The following star systems are located within 10 light-years of Delta Pavonis.

10 Stars of Interest to Delta Pavonis Fen
Star System Distance from
Delta Pavonis
Travel Time Interwave Lag
L 119-44 5.8 ly 4.23 days 5.08 hours
L 205-128 6.4 ly 4.67 days 5.61 hours
CD -45°13677 7.3 ly 5.33 days 6.40 hours
CD -49°13515 / Gl 832 7.4 ly 5.4 days 6.49 hours
Hip 82725 7.5 ly 5.48 days 6.57 hours
L 347-14 7.7 ly 5.62 days 6.75 hours
Epsilon Indi 9.2 ly 6.72 days 8.06 hours
Beta Hydri 9.3 ly 6.79 days 8.15 hours
CD -46°11540 9.9 ly 7.23 days 8.68 hours
CD -44°11909 10.0 ly 7.3 days 8.77 hours

Notes

  1. (RECONS)
  2. (Johnson and Wright, 1983, page 695)
  3. (Cayrel de Strobel et al, 1991, page 306)
  4. (Harmer et al, 1970; and Alexander William Rodgers, 1969)
  5. Either shortly before or shortly after the last bombardment of Yggdrasil.