Rigel XII/Egessemine

• World Log:
• System Name:
  • Number of Class M Worlds: 6
• Planetary Data
  • Position in System: XII
  • Number of Satellites: 3
  • Planetary Class: G
  • Planetary Gravity: 1.1 g
  • Planetary Size
    • Diameter: 11,028 km
    • Equatorial Circumference: 35,916 km
    • Total Surface Area: 428,371,023 sq km
    • Percent Land Mass: 93%
    • Total Land Area: 398,385,051 sq km
  • Planetary Conditions
    • Length of Day: 25 standard hours
    • Atmospheric Density: Temperate
    • General Climate: Desert
  • Mineral Content
  • Normal Metals: 54%
  • Radio actives: 12%
  • Gemstones: Trace
  • Industrial Crystals: 23%
  • Special Minerals: Trace
• Cultural Data
  • Dominant Life Form: Human/Orion/Various
  • Technological/Sociopolitical Index: N/A
  • Planetary Trade Profile: N/A

Notes

Rigel XII is a class G desert planet. Its raw deposits of natural dilithium have made it invaluable to many forgotten races, the Orions and now the Federation. It is rivaled only by Coridan in it's abundance of dilithium. Many of the old, Orion Corporation exclusively owned Mining facilities have since been converted into Federation facilities, maintaining a vast underground mining network throughout the planets structure. The Orion Corporations still own and utilize a vast amount of the dilithium for there means even though it now falls under Federation jurisdiction.

Although it's rather dubious to say, but Rigel XII may be the most singularly unique planet of all the Rigel Worlds. It's diametric elliptical orbit around Rigel A-1 positions itself slightly above the Hakiel radiation belt, allowing the planet to absorb vast amounts of starlight despite it's distance from the blue-white super giant. The planet also is attracted to the gravity of the second star in the immeidiate binary system, Rigel A-2, which strains it's already unusual orbit around the Hakiel. The planet has recieves almost constant starlight from both the Rigel primaries. In addition, it's orbit also takes it very close to Rigel BC as it's unusual orbit keeps it within proximity with Rigel BC even at it's apogee with Rigel A. This is typically referred to by locals as the 'Red Season', as Egessemine receives an equal amount of starlight from Rigel BC as it does from Rigel A. Only on it's return trip through the opposite path of it's journey away from Rigel BC is the planet subject to the fact of it being the farthest Rigel planet from any of the stars. 

Egessemine's existence also lends credence to the theory of ancient terraforming of the Rigel system. The planets lack of moisture precludes the possibility of a naturally forming atmosphere. Much of the thick sands and wastelands of the planet may've been formed in similar fashion of Terra's moon Luna, and by some unknown method an atmosphere was created in just the right proportions to allow effective trapping of heat and radiation to make the planet tolerable, if not livable, to most carbon based life forms. It is also possible that the planet formed naturally, once a class M world in the grip of Rigel BC but was later ripped from her by some force of nature. Like Ceti Alpha V, Rigel XII may've underwent an extraordinary shift to what we know today. Given the unique postures and elliptical orbits of the Rigel stars and unknown elements to an incomplete picture that defines the Rigel system.

Despite limited moisture in it's nitrogen rich and salted airs, and the abundance of h2o within it's thin atmosphere, the entire surface of the planet is completely vast desert sands and moderate sized rocky plains, valleys and hills. Even in the extreme winter season, when Rigel XII is at it's perigee with all it's mother stars, no ice forms upon the planet surface. Only seemingly daily intense dust storms rack the surface of the rich dilithium mining port. Clear days though are as common as the dust storms, but just as tenuous due to the planets axis rotation. To put it simply, their is no such thing as a meteorologist on Egessemine. Prediction of weather conditions from day to day is elusive as any enigma in the Rigel sector.