Planetary System Inspiration

To be somewhat believable and understandable to the readers and players, our fictional world Zihæt has Earth-like characteristics. These include habitability and a broad range of planetary attributes, geology, geographic features, and climates. But that doesn't mean everything has to be the same.   We started by assuming that Zihæt inhabits a star system very different than that of Earth.  

Twin Suns

Generic article | Jan 7, 2021

Zihæt circles twin suns.

Solar System

Twin Suns lie at the center of the solar system. Kepler-38A and Kepler-38B inspired this system. These stars have the characteristic that simulations have shown the formation of rocky planets inside the habitable zone is highly likely, and the planetary orbits are stable. (Wikipedia)  

Light of the Stars

The two stars are very different. The brighter star is spectral class G (~5640 K). The dimmer star is a spectral class M (~3,100 K). The majority of light originates from the white G-type. The colors on Zihæt are very similar to Earth.  

Aurora

Generic article | Jan 9, 2021

Zihæt's bright aurora can be perceived from the northern Dragonshome Islands and Northern Continent.

Aurora

We've spiced up our system by assuming that the suns have strong coronal mass ejections. These CMEs interact with the planet's intense magnetic fields.   The magnetosphere, or region of space surrounding the planet in which charged particles are affected by the planet's magnetic field. Zihæt's intrinsic magnetosphere, like Earth's, is caused by the convection in the outer liquid core. For reasons unknown, the magnetic field is significantly stronger than Earth's.   The bulk of the solar radiation from Zihæt's system comes from the smaller red dwarf star. Unlike its larger sibling, it is far more active in terms of both the coronal mass ejections' frequency and intensity. The higher frequency and intensity of these CMEs mean that the frequency and the luminosity of aurora events on Zihaet are far higher than Earth's. The final result is a bright and readily visible Aurora.    

Planetary System

We've added three moons to create a very different night sky.

• Ag̀ is a small, reflective pink moon
• Ven, a large green colored moon, dominates the night sky.
• Loog̀iik is dark, dim and foreboding.

  The pull of these three moons, combined with the faster planetary rotation drive highly energetic storms and rough seas.    

Planetary Characteristics

Finally, we turn to the planet itself. We've given it a somewhat unrealistic (but easier on the math) non-eccentric orbit around the two stars. Zihæt lies in approximately the same orbit as Kepler-47c is relative to its primary stars (0.985 AU). The planet's orbital period (calendar year) is 297 days.  

Gravity

The planet is approximately 1 Earth mass, but with a slightly denser core and smaller radius. Gravity is similar on Zihæt to that of Earth.  

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is very similar to Earth's nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere. It is slightly denser than the 101 KPa of Earth. Larger concentrations of ozone and other noble gasses can lead to reddish or darkened (non-light passing) clouds. The planet is approximately 50K warmer than the estimated 241K for Kepler 47c due to its denser atmosphere.  

Rotation and Day Length

The rotational speed of Zihæt is slightly faster than Earth. A day is approximately 22 hours in duration.  

Axial Tilt and Seasons

The axial tilt is roughly 25 degrees, slightly more than the Earth equivalent and creating slightly more seasonal variation at the northern and southern lattitudes.  

Wind Speed and Direction, and Weather

The directionality of winds and other weather phenomenon is very similar to Earth. The increased rotational speed and higher seasonal variability adds more energy to the storms, meaning that storms on Zihæt tend to pack more of a punch.  

Triple Conjunction

Physical / Metaphysical Law | Jan 9, 2021

The triple conjunction, or the full eclipse of all three moons occurs once per year on the summer solstice.

The Zihæt Calendar

The resulting calendar takes into account the lengths of the Solar and Lunar Year, The Lunar Month, Lunar Week, and Solar Day. It shows the phases of the moon including the Triple Conjunction that forms the basis of much myth and action on the planet. And finally, it gives us a sense of day length and weather at our various locations.