Orrery


The Orrery is an Axum artifact found within the Axum Observatory. Scanning the Orrery gives a databank entry detailing the structure of the Eido-Thea System.

Description

Upon entering the Orrery room, it is in an inactive state, but after a short delay, it will begin to unfold, moving the rings into place.

Contrary to what the entry describes, the Orrery displays only four planets rather than seven, and Apiary only shows two moons rather than three.

Databank Entry

Source: Scan the Orrery within the Axum Observatory

This model of an alien solar system contains two stars, seven planets, and three moons.

• Two binary stars orbiting in physical contact. Proposed names: "Eido" and "Thea". Observations at the sea surface suggest they are class MOV red dwarfs, smaller, colder, and longer-lived than Earth's sun.
• A small, rapidly orbiting world close to the stars
• A planet with an elliptical orbit that swings close to the stars, then climbs far outward
• A gas giant with three large moons, one of which is this world (proposed name: Proteus)
• A tiny planet which shares the gas giant's orbit, racing ahead of it
• A large, rocky world
• A cold ice giant with an inclined orbit
• An ice giant with a very large ring system

Nearby stars are also indicated by lights around the orrery, including a pulsar. Pulsars can be used as lighthouses to fix a star's position in the galaxy. Consult the Noetic Advisor for further analysis.

Assessment: This orrery is probably a historical site. It was built by Axum with an advanced but pre-modern understanding of astronomy. Until a colony observatory can be constructed, it represents the best available information about the Eido-Thea system and the worlds near Proteus.

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