SC2020 - The Gas Giant

Garuda is a moon that orbits around The Gas Giant. The gas giant has a P-type orbit around the nearby binary star set, which inherently gives it an S-type orbit in relationship to the second pair of the quaternary star system.
When viewing The Gas Giant from The Moon it takes up a significant part of the sky. It has an apparent angular diameter of about 20 degrees (around 5% of the sky), far bigger than either of the suns which sit at around 0.4 and 0.6 degrees of the arc.
The Moon is tidal-locked to The Gas Giant and therefore, can only be seen from one side of The Moon - "The Bright Side".
This Gas Giant has a solid surface, a rocky core beneath it's waste layers of gas.
The Gas Giant has white and rust colored belts with huge swirls, colored from the majority gas of hydrogen and helium.
The atmosphere is largely made out of hydrogen and helium. This makes it interesting, especially to The Dark Siders, as it for the first time has opened the possibility to them that they might be able to do long distance space travel within a reasonable time frame.
Because of the colossal size and its large albido, for "The Bright Side" the reflection of the Gas Giant is on average the main source of light. The way it works out is that, just like Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon half the time - hence why the moon is most often a crescent shape, so would The Gas Giant block direct sunlight from reaching Garuda during much of the time that it is "supposed" to be day. However, when it is supposed to be "night" on the Bright Side, the reflected sunlight from The Gas Giant means that it will actually be day time. On average, "The Bright Side" of Garuda will spend around: 50% of it's time in the reflected light from Garuda 25% of it's time in direct sunlight 25% of it's time without light, having it blocked by Garuda. The day/night cycle or rather the light/darkness shadow of the Bright Side of Garuda is strange indeed. Not only does it have a seasonal parameter, that varies the length of day depending on the time of year and proximity to the pole. But also a monthly cycle, that depends on how far along Garuda is in its orbit around The Gas Giant. This second cycle does not only stretch and shorten the day, but rather pushes it, such that it eventually loops around.
The Gas Giant also means that it has huge tidal forces on Garuda, with large water masses shifting throughout the day. This makes coastal settlements impossible.

Fauna & Flora

The Gas Giant itself has no Flora & Fauna of it's own, but plays a huge role in the Flora Fauna on Garuda. The Gas Giant means that Flora & Fauna on "The Bright Side" of Garuda is vastly different from the Flora & Fauna of "The Dark Side" of Garuda.

Natural Resources

Atmosphere

Metallic hydrogen - used for rocket fuel. Helium. Hydrogen.

Rocky "core"

Metal. The rocky core is rich in iron and precious metals.

History

Due to the huge presence in the sky, day and night, The Gas Giant has become the center piece of several religions on The Bright Side.

Alternative Name(s)

Narkivo

Type

Planet