Cabraxte System
The Cabraxte System is the gravitationally-bound star system that orbits Cabraxte (more commonly known as the Sun). The eleven largest masses in orbit around the Sun are all planets, most of which are orbited by a number of moons or other natural satellites. Two of the planets are considered dwarf planets, and lie on the outermost section of the star system. The system also has two gas giants, and one ice giant, while all the other planets have a rocky, hard surface. The Cabraxte System was formed some 4.6 billion years ago from the collapse of an interstellar molecular cloud. It is located in the Enyanedes Constellation, a small cluster of stars, in the Zaphod Arm of the Fraggle Galaxy.
The system has eleven planets, in order of proximity to the Sun; Tigris, Venera, Shire, Euphrates, Gallica, Pandora, Monsomora, Nostromo, Cthelia, Sina, and Fria. The inner six planets are all terrestrial planets, mainly composed of rock and metal. Monsomora and Nostromo are both gas giants, Nostromo being the larger of the two. Cthelia is an ice giant, followed by Sina and Fria, both of which are dwarf planets. All of the planets except for Tigris and Fria have moons that are in orbit around them. In between the orbits of Pandora and Monsomora lies the Sahrabarik Asteroid Belt, a collection of post-formation rocky debris. Kabal, a protoplanet in the asteroid belt, is the largest object in the belt, its status as a dwarf planet or asteroid debated within the scientific community. The system also has a number of comets, believed to originate from the Opik Cloud, a field of comets that forms the outer boundaries of the Cabraxte System.
Sun
The Sun, or Cabraxte, is the largest object in our star system, and by far the most crucial source of energy. It has a mass of roughly 402,200 Shire masses. It is a main-sequence star, emitting enough temperature and density in its core to produce the nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium. The energy emitted is seen by us as visible light distributed across the system. It is a G-2 type main-sequence star, among the most common in the Enyanedes Constellation. It lies roughly in the center of the spectrum between the galaxy's hottest, most luminous stars, and its cooler, more dim stars.
The Sun is a particularly stable star, despite the occasional solar flare. In 1838, an solar storm named the Trans Shire Event struck the Shire, causing aurorae so bright that occurred much closer to the equator than aurorae would typically occur. Most telegraph systems across the Shire failed, some giving small electric shocks to operators. An event like this occurring in the present day would be much more catastrophic; with so many satellites and the world being dependent on electricity, repairing the damage caused by a solar storm would cost well into the trillions.
Inner Cabraxte System
The Inner Planets are all terrestrial, with rocky, dense surfaces and molten metallic cores. The Inner Planets typically have no more than two moons, and none of them have any ring features. They are seperated from the Outer Planets by the Sahrabarik Asteroid Belt. Two of the Inner Planets fall into the 'Goldilocks Zone'; the Shire, and a portion of Euphrates at some point during its orbit.
Tigris
Tigris is the closest planet to the Sun and the second-smallest in the system. With its proximity to the Sun, Tigris is a dry and barren planet with no evidence of tectonic activity. Its terrain is fairly rugged, marked by a number of plateaus, rifts, and small mountains, suggesting geological activity billions of years in the past. It is regularly bombarded by meteorites being pulled into the Sun, leaving its surface pockmarked with craters. A day on Tigris is approximately 1,350 hours, and it has a radius of .32 Shires. Due to the extreme heat and hazardous conditions so close to the Sun, Tigris is the least studied planet in the system. It derives its name from the pet cat of 11th century astronomer Sancude si Saman.
Venera
Venera falls between Tigris and the Shire, a planet of impressive geological anomalies and reverence in ancient cultures. It was one of the most studied planets by ancient astronomers, due to its visibility. It is almost completely hidden by dense green methane cloud cover, which reflects a large amount of sunlight and makes the planet a bright, prominent figure in the night sky. It will often appear a noticeable light green when viewed with the naked eye. It was believed to be a small gas planet until a 1975 probe launched by the Fulflet Union discovered a rocky surface beneath the clouds. Venera is mostly a rocky desertscape, but in certain areas close to the poles the planet hosts a number of mesas and volcanoes, which are mostly active. Eruptions can be detected from the Shire due to surface variations in the planet's cloud cover. It is extremely hot, as its dense methane atmosphere traps heat; its average surface temperature is 934 degrees Fahrenheit. Venera rotates extremely slowly, with a day clocking out at 5,500 hours. Coincidentally, its orbit is only 207 Shire days, which means that a day on Venera lasts longer than its year. It is has a radius of .882 Shires. It was named after the Epsilonian Enpeecee goddess of witchcraft, as green was often associated with magic and trickery.
Imos
Venera is orbited by one moon, Imos, which is far more hospitable than its parent planet. Though largely unremarkable, samples brought back from other Fulflet missions reveal a rare element that is not present on the Shire, named Immosium. When refined, it possesses qualities similar to those of mercury, except it is solid and metallic at standard temperatures, and does not appear to be hazardous. There was internal debate within the scientific community on whether or not it should be added to the Periodic Table of Elements, as it is of extraplanetary origin. In 1989, it was finally added under Im. Imitation Immosium jewelry has become popular in the fashion world, though the only actual example of real Immosium being used in jewelry is Emperor Sammich's crown, which was redesigned with Immosium accents using samples taken from the Fulflet Union. Samples that weren't used in his crown or kept by DePrey Institute were shipped to other scientific institutions around the world for research. The moon has a radius of .122 Shires, and was named for the pet monkey of the goddess Venera.
The Shire
The Shire is the densest planet in the system, lies between Venera and Euphrates, and, as of now, is the only planet in the universe known to harbor life. With its largely-nitrogren/oxygen atmosphere and ability to produce and retain water, the Shire had all of the components of supporting life. It was formed some 4.1 billion years ago, and evidence suggests microbial and single-celled life first began developing around 3.7 billion years ago. Its surface is covered in a number of continents, unique for their fractal and broken-up shapes. The continents are as follows: Ankut, Armadia, Aurum, Clementine, Demmatrodine, Kaluara, Malesius, Niolari, Oldeshire, Perna, Postrema, Sammarck, Thrennex, Torat, Vallachia, and Viridis (PENDING). The Shire also holds many bodies of water, ranging from ponds to large-scale oceans. It maintains a wide array of biomes, or environments with different flora & fauna, climates, and living conditions. Some of these include deserts, rainforests, taiga, temperate/deciduous forests, tundras, savannas, and plains. The Shire is not tilted on its axis, yet climate is determined by extremely strong and somewhat-inexplicable air currents, dispelling any pre-set climate bands resulting from the lack of an axial tilt. For example, the cities of Fulfwotz and Laurelian should have similar climates as they sit in similar positions relative to the north and south poles, yet Fulfwotz is rather hot and dry, while Laurelian is cooler and wet. Some of these air currents follow a pattern of changing shape throughout the year, giving some regions on the planet seasons.
The Shire's most interesting feature, however, is the presence of intelligent life on its surface. There are three primary races that inhabit the Shire; Humans, Sammichians, and Enpeecees (There are also Enderians, Acadians, and Laurelii, yet they are small in numbers and largely centered within the Enderian Nation, Acadie, and Laurelian, while the three primary races can be found throughout the Shire). Each of these races developed a number of independent civilizations, starting with the early Sammichian civilization around 2,800 PRY. Over the course of history, these nations have connected and cooperated resulting in a global civilization encompassing a variety of nations, cultures, and races. After centuries of remaining confined to the Shire, an international space program successfully sent the first satellite into space in 1952, the first man in 1955, and landed on the moon several times between the years of 1975 and 1981. While the origins of the planet's name are ancient and lost to history, many historians remark its similarity to the ancient Xamichine word "xyre", which lacks a direct translation but means something to the effect of belonging to the collective Sammichian race. This was used at a time where the empire of Xamichia held dominion over much of the world; over time, the Humans in the central Shire bastardized it to the modern-day form as the word was largely forgotten by the Xamichines as their empire collapsed.
The Moon
The moon, with countless names in different languages and cultures, is roughly one-eighth of the mass of the Shire, and appears in the night sky as a variety of different phases as the Shire casts its shadow across its face. The moon is believed to have formed around the same time as the Shire, likely from a large-scale collision which broke a chunk from the planet and created a satellite body in orbit around it; thus, the moon has a very similar mineral composition to the Shire. It lacks an atmosphere and is sterile. No life can exist on the moon, as there simply lacks any means to support it. Its surface is marked with craters, from meteorites intercepted before they could reach and burn up in the Shire's atmosphere