Valaya
Valaya as seen from space
Mass |
1.283E27 (0.676 M Jup) |
|---|---|
Radius |
59250.30 km (0.828 R Jup) |
Avg. Surface Temp |
529 K (255.85 °C) |
Rotation period |
2 d, 13 h, 52 m, 30 s |
Semi-Major Axis |
6.417 AU |
|---|---|
Inclination |
-0.14° |
Longitude of Ascending Node |
195° |
Eccentricity |
0.01 |
Argument of Periapsis |
309.71° |
Period |
13 y, 0 M, 19 d |
Valaya is an ice giant planet, and host of the moon system that includes Avalon. It is the most massive planet in this solar system, about 10 times more massive than Neptune. It owes its blue coloration to the abundance of Methane in its atmosphere, similar to the two ice giants Uranus and Neptune. However, the term “ice giant” is misleading in its case, as it is used to refer to any gas giant with a large amount of Methane and Ethane in its atmosphere. Valaya is far from cold, receiving enough sunlight for its size to become slightly bloated as its temperature causes it to balloon in size. Unlike Infernum, Valaya did most likely form directly in its current orbit, barely migrating inwards.
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The name "Valaya" actually has a bit of a backstory. It originated during a worldbuilding/roleplaying project between me and a group of friends, set on a planet named Vulpina. When I tried to come up with a name for the Avali colony there, someone suggested "Valaya" as sounding vaguely "avian". That project was eventually abandoned, but I decided to let the name Valaya live on by making it the name of this planet. Originally, it was going to be called "Aireos".
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