Fringian Variant System Description

The Fringian Variant System Description is a means of describing the layout of the components of a star system.

Introduction

Fringian Variant System Descriptions are those star systems described using a layout pioneered by the University of Selasia and accepted as a standard across the Distant Fringe region.

Stars

Stars are named and described. Their characteristics are measured using Sol, Terra's primary star, as the mean.

Secondary stars and brown dwarfs are generally noted as Subsystems, depending on their orbital position. Each has its orbital and physical characteristics defined, and details of any stellar system that it retains are provided.

Orbital Positions

A world's orbital position around its star.

Worlds orbiting stars within the Distant Fringe region broadly fall within orbital positions loosely predicted by the Titius–Bode law, and are usually referred to as having near-Bodean orbits. Distances are measured in Astronomical Units (AU): one AU is equivalent to the distance between Terra and Sol, or 149.6 million km.

Orbital positions are denoted by a bracketed roman numberal. Each orbital position defines a set distance from the star measured in AU, as defined on the table below:

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Orbital Zones

Habitable Zone

The Habitable Zone of a system is the distance from the star where the energy from that star falling on a hypotical Terra-like world orbiting within that orbital position would produce moderate temperatures and allow liquid water to exist. These conditions are the most likely to allow life, both native or introduced, to survive without artifical assistance.

Inner System

Worlds within a system located starward of the habitable zone, and generally too hot to allow liquid water, breathable atmospheres or advanced forms of life.

• The orbital position directly starward of the habitable zone is defined as the H– zone and may contain hospitable (though generally marginal) worlds. Temperate ocean-covered worlds are also more likely within the H– position, largely to do with the way that such worlds cycle stellar energy.

Outer System

Worlds within a system located spaceward of the habitable zone, and generally too cold to allow liquid water, breathable atmospheres or advanced forms of life.

• The orbital position directly spaceward of the habitable zone is defined as the H+ zone and may contain hospitable (though generally marginal) worlds.

Empty Orbits

Some systems may not have worlds filling every available near-bodean orbital position. In such cases, these are defined as empty orbits and are noted as such. An example of this occurs in the Sol system, with orbital position (I) (lying 0.2 AU from the star, inside of Mercury's orbit) being defined as empty.

Notes

This system of describing star systems, while broadly used within the Distant Fringe, is not utilised elsewhere.

References & Contributors / Sources

Orbital Position	Span	Mean Distance	Sol System Equivalent
(I)	stellar surface to 0.3 AU.	0.2 AU.	Empty Orbit
(II)	0.3 AU to 0.55 AU.	0.4 AU.	Mercury
(III)	0.55 AU to 0.85 AU.	0.7 AU.	Venus
(IV)	0.85 AU to 1.3 AU.	1.0 AU.	Terra
(V)	1.3 AU to 2.2 AU.	1.6 AU.	Mars
(VI)	2.2 AU to 4.0 AU.	2.8 AU.	Planetoid belt
(VII)	4.0 AU to 7.6 AU.	5.2 AU.	Jupiter
(VIII)	7.6 AU to 14.8 AU.	10.0 AU.	Saturn
(IX)	14.8 AU to 29.2 AU.	19.6 AU.	Uranus
(X)	29.2 AU to 58.2 AU.	38.8 AU.	Neptune, Kuyper Belt
(XI)	58.2 AU to 116 AU.	77.6 AU.
(XII)	116 AU to 231 AU.	154 AU.
(XIII)	231 AU to 460 AU.	308 AU.
(XIV)	460 AU to 920 AU.	615 AU.
(XV)	920 AU to 1850 AU.	1230 AU.
(XVI)	1850 AU to 3700 AU.	2460 AU.
(XVII)	3700 AU to 7400 AU.	4915 AU.	Sol's Oort Cloud
(XVIII)	7400 AU to 15000 AU.	9850 AU.	outer edge of Sol's Oort Cloud,

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This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master Scout Emeritus Adie Alegoric Stewart of the IISS
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science