Challenge #02248-F058: All Hail the Weird Ones
An entire planet seems to be "astronomical at best." -- Anon Guest
Aargus 6F is one of the weirder planets to evolve cogniscent life. Their parental gas giant, Aargus 6, is far out of the 'Goldilocks Zone', yet tidal forces caused by the orbit in combination with a rotating iron core have caused the planet to be warm enough to host life.
The skies are almost always dark on Aargus 5F, when they are not dominated by their parental gas giant, which takes up a good quarter of the visible sky in the correct conditions. The distant sun is not important in their general cosmology, since to them, it is no more than a very bright star. Indeed, the hypothesis that it was the source of illumination for Aargus 6 was hotly debated for eons amongst the populace.
There is, however, something to be said for the ability to look up at any time and see the workings of the cosmos. Generations made myths to explain the bodies in the sky, why neighbouring moons of Aargus 6 only appeared at certain intervals. Why the obscuring mass of Aargus 6 showed itself in different aspects, and so on. The Aargosians developed the magnifying lens and used it to notice things. Things beneath them as well as above.
Thus, an astonishing majority of Aargus 6F is devoted to telescopes that can operate for every hour of their day. Curiosity and discovery have long outstripped myth and legend, and the very real possibility of other worlds like theirs had them pushing towards space exploration. With a seemingly infinite sky to taunt them, moving up into it seemed like a natural progression.
They were quite a shock to the residents of Aargus 3. In fact, the residents of Aargus 3 were also quite a surprise to them. Egocentric speculation had lead both to believe that it was impossible for life to exist outside of environments off their own. They learned quickly, though, and numerous conspiracy theorists had to have some theories shot down because living proof was, astronomically speaking, right next door.
Of course there were some battles. Two different civilisations rarely meet without some form of conflict. Rare, indeed, is the polity that meets another with open arms and friendly intent. Nevertheless, Aargus 3 and Aargus 6F found that they benefited from each other's experience, knowledge, and insight.
They were among the first to suggest that peaceable accord might bring further advancement to mutually agreeable polities and, indeed, were among the founding members of the Galactic Alliance.
Without an entire planet's devotion to astronomy, history would have been an entirely different shape. Raise your glasses, then, to Aargus 6F, most astronomical planet in the known universe... and surely, the best of us.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / yalcinsonat]
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