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Ymirian Worlds

Worlds made almost entirely of ices

Tartarus
Image from Steve Bowers
Sheol

Formerly know as Glacian Type Worlds.

Major type of Terrestrial Class planet, found in the most distant parts of the solar system. These worlds have either a very small or an entirely absent rocky core. They are almost completely composed of ices. These could be considered massive relatives to the Kuiperian Type worlds. Geologic activity may be present due to tidal stressing if the world is orbiting a gas giant or other body. Their surfaces are highly reflective, although some are decidedly reddish in color due to organic material interacting with solar and cosmic rays. Heavily cratered, the geologic activity on these planets is almost entirely restricted to primordial times, but may leave surface features visible for billions of years. What little rocky material that does form with these worlds goes to form a small and non-molten core. Typically there is no atmosphere, as nearly all gases found at the temperatures in which these worlds inhabit freeze out onto the surface.

Examples: Sheol, Cynthia, Aminon.

 
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Development Notes
Text by John M. Dollan
Initially published on 18 November 2008.

 
 
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