LOKI

LOKI'S PLANETOLOGY

 PLANET: Within Loki there is a greater proportion of heavy elements, which produces more internal heat. Loki has more than the earthly norm of volcanos, earthquakes, more mountains and valleys, fewer plains. The gravitional force is 1.12 g, mountains and dunes are not as steep. Bigger wings on air vehicles, smaller breaking needed, since air pressure falls more rapidly with height than the earthly norm.

The day is 27.5 earthly hours. The slower rotation, despite more metals in its makeup, means a lesser magnetic field than Earth-normal, which would allow more of its atmosphere to escape, so the ground level atmposphere would be roughly earth normal.

Their star, Surtur, is a K5 star, luminosity .35 of Sol's, with lots of flares, which the natives say look like swords from the sun. Loki is .6 astronomical units out from Surter. Its axis is very nearly straight, a planet of nearly eternal fall, no way to really distinguish the seasons. No auroras grace its skies, since the sun is much weaker than what we are used to here in our solar system, and there is a weaker magnetic field to react to. Its year is 191.2 of its own days long. Loki is .9 times the size of earth, but its greater percentage of metals gives it 1.23 times the density.

 WEATHER: The slower rotation causes cyclones to be not as frequent or as harsh as terran normal. There is more carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfides, and sulfer oxides in the air, due to more volcanic eruptions. Sulpher is somewhat more abundent, due to same. (Sulpher is a dietary need, like phosphorus or iron is for us. It occurs in such small quantities, like iron in our diet, that eating Lokiite food is not fatal for us, although it might make you sick.) The air, with the sulpher oxides, smells...well...distinctive. You can tell the sulpher in the air. Acid rains occur naturally, since there is too much sulphur and other elements in the air to avoid it.

 MOONS AND TIDES: Loki has two moons, Sigyn and Angerboda. Sigyn is half the size of our moon, and is twice as far from its pirmary, thoughly. It has one-sixteenth the pull on tides, etc, as Earth's moon has on Earth. However, Angerboda, which is one fourth the size of Luna, nevertheless is only half as far away from Loki as Luna is from us. Angerboda causes tides twice the size of what we are used to here on Earth. Angerboda is half Luna's size in Loki's sky, Sigyn a fourth of Luna's size in Loki's sky. Sigyn's month is 52 earth days, Angerboda's is 13 earth days.

Those interested with comments, suggestions, things I have forgotten, things I messed up, contact me at... E-Mail:a l.schroeder@nashville.com

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