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Tau Ceti

Home system of the first successful extrasolar human colony.

Tau Ceti Planets
Image from Steve Bowers

Tau Ceti - Data Panel

System:Tau Ceti
Primary:Tau Ceti
Stellar Type:G8V
Companion:none
Region:Inner Sphere Old Core, Sol Sector (11.378 light-years away from Sol in 10600 AT)
Planets:Hephaestus (Tau Ceti g):
Semi-major axis: 0.133 AU
Orbital period: 20.0 standard days
Mass: 3.051 x Earth
Type: Vesperian SuperCytherean (tidally locked SuperVenus)
Mostly of Unity allegiance, although there are some Silicon Generation habitats in orbit.

Aphrodite (Tau Ceti h):
Semi-major axis: 0.243 AU
Orbital period: 49.4 standard days
Mass: 3.191 x Earth
Type: Vesperian SuperCytherean
Cloudharvester community, mostly ai, cyborg, and bionts of the regional superpower Unity. Communion of Worlds allegiance.

Elysia (Tau Ceti e):
Semi-major axis: 0.538 AU
Orbital period: 163 standard days
Mass: 6.852 x Earth
Type: SuperPanthalassic Mostly Unity affiliation. Has an extensive orbital belt aligned with the Sophic League.

Nova Terra (Tau Ceti i):
Semi-major axis: 0.775 AU
Orbital period: 0.771 standard years (roughly 186.5 local days)
Mass: 1.12 x Earth
Type: EuGaian (now terraformed, originally a lifeless EoGaian world. This world currently has one large supercontinent).
Mediacratic NoCoZo, with a largely Homo Superior, heteromorphic, and tweak planetary population and numerous orbiting habitats including Novawood.

Tartarus (Tau Ceti f):
Semi-major axis: 1.334 AU
Orbital period: 1.741 standard years
Mass: 6.852 x Earth
Type: Gas Dwarf.
Mostly Unity affiliation; the moon Persephone was considered the sect's second home after they were exiled from Nova.
Beamrider booster station with links to the Deeper Covenant.
Ceti asteroid beltLarge and comparatively dense debris belt between 6.2 to 52 AU from the star. Much of the belt has been claimed by the Newterran orbitals, but there is a strong Alliance element
Major orbiting habitatsBernal Spheres: Groucho, Harpo, Queen Tracy
Asteroid colonies: Chico, Zeppo, Gummo, Time-Disney, Cuchulhain, Thoreau, Mebd, Excelsior,
Dyson Trees: Nader, Lovelock, Carson
O'Neill Cylinders: Finn Mac Cumhaill, Conchobor, Emer
Freesphere: Exuberance
Stanford Tori: Unity Station
AIAI overseers: varies by world and polity (the ancient colony world, Nova Terra, is aligned with the NoCoZo and has no single ruling transapient faction
Psyche, Art, CultureMetapsychology: varies by clade and polity

Metaethics: varies by clade and polity

Religion and Ideology: varies by clade and polity

Culture and Art: varies by clade and polity

Language: varies by clade and polity, although Anglic dialects are widely spoken
TravelStargates:
Einstein Gate to Solsys (NoCoZo affiliation)
Mutual Benefit - to Zeta I Reticuli (NoCoZo affiliation)
Jade Gate to Penglai.
Akiyoshidai to Djed.

Cycler Routes: several Beamrider connections especially near Tartarus

Hazard Rating: varies by world and polity

Visa Restrictions: varies by world and polity

Freedom of Movement: varies by world and polity; the outer worlds are fairly restricted, due to Backgrounder secrecy

Environmental Requirements: Novaterra and many orbitals are baseline hu environmentally compatible. Some other colonies will require environment suits.
Nova Terra again
Image from Steve Bowers
Nova Terra, the oldest human colony outside the Solar System

 
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Development Notes
Text by Anders Sandberg and M. Alan Kazlev
Amended by The Astronomer 2019
Initially published on 10 March 2002.

Most recent update 12/9/17 to reflect the probable planets Tau Ceti g and Tau Ceti h
from here Four Planet Candidates around Tau Ceti
Arxiv
 
 
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