Lubau
Lubau is the planet closest to the star, giving it a good strategic position near the portals, but the planet is important for many more reasons than its location. The very first thing the starfarers noticed when they arrived at Lubau was that the axial tilt of the planet was 43 degrees and that the same side was always facing the sun. This means that the planet is without seasons and that the variations in temperature between the hemispheres are enormous. Current science says that this is due to an earlier collision with another planetary body that is now missing.
Another quirk that carries practical implications is that the magnetosphere of the planet is slight, but very strong. This explains why the only space station in orbit, Kadcidil (“the eye of the sun” in local dialects), can remain so “close” to the surface and always stay on the nightside. This is also the reason why there are no communications satellites above Lubau. Yet another mystery is that Lubau, despite its small size, has roughly the same gravitational pull as Kua. The astronics of the Foundation have no explanation for this, but it could be connected to the many problems encountered by geochemists here; despite all their advanced technology, they have a hard time getting more than shallow readings from the planet’s surface.
From the boiling infernos of the southern hemispheres where gigantic refineries on tracks extract molten ore directly from the ground and the Naar Wind can disintegrate a gold-plated reflective exo in a matter of minutes, to the dry deserts of the north full of green oases, wandering nomads, and rumored Portal Builder ruins hidden under the sand, to the smog-filled skies of the plastic metropolis Mehrabi - Lubau has everything a curious visitor could wish for.
Another quirk that carries practical implications is that the magnetosphere of the planet is slight, but very strong. This explains why the only space station in orbit, Kadcidil (“the eye of the sun” in local dialects), can remain so “close” to the surface and always stay on the nightside. This is also the reason why there are no communications satellites above Lubau. Yet another mystery is that Lubau, despite its small size, has roughly the same gravitational pull as Kua. The astronics of the Foundation have no explanation for this, but it could be connected to the many problems encountered by geochemists here; despite all their advanced technology, they have a hard time getting more than shallow readings from the planet’s surface.
From the boiling infernos of the southern hemispheres where gigantic refineries on tracks extract molten ore directly from the ground and the Naar Wind can disintegrate a gold-plated reflective exo in a matter of minutes, to the dry deserts of the north full of green oases, wandering nomads, and rumored Portal Builder ruins hidden under the sand, to the smog-filled skies of the plastic metropolis Mehrabi - Lubau has everything a curious visitor could wish for.
Lubau is a planet full of raw and untamed natural power.
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