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Zollner

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Zöllner is a planet found in my Rivers of Light universe alongside Ghar and others, though the people of Ghar have never had any kind of contact with this distant colony. It is named after German astrophysicist and student of optical illusions JKF Zöllner, and as the name implies the colonists of this star system come chiefly from Europe (although there were also colonists from Canada, Argentina, Israel, and the Middle East as well). Zöllner is around 70% the size and mass of Earth and has limited biodiversity due to the extreme seasonal changes it experiences. During the long summer in each pole much of the flora dies off from intense heat and drought while animal life either migrates or hibernates in subterranean burrows. During the winter as things cool down life will bloom once again, as seen in the contrast between the northern and southern hemisphere of the planet in the image above. The most peculiar trait of this planet though is its position in the binary star system, which gives it a rather unique day/night cycle in which the surface is treated to a 17 hour long day with a brief reprieve from a measly 5 hour long night. The extreme conditions on the planet preclude largescale settlement, and most people live in orbital habitats above Zöllner and either commute down to the surface when they are required to or only work on the surface seasonally (much like how a fisherman might live in one place but go out to sea for periods of time during fishing season for work). As such the population of the planet is difficult to be sure of, though as a younger colony the star system's total population is only around 221 billion. 

Zöllner's primary industry is the extraction and refinement of petroleum, but the extraction of sand (invaluable in construction) and atmospheric nitrogen (somewhat rare in space and vital for the creation of fertilizer for crops) are also incredibly important and this trifecta of industries is largely what supports the colony. Some crops such as olives, figs, maize, cotton, and sunflowers are grown on the surface though these are largely to supplement the diets of those in the planet's immediate vicinity rather than for export to other settlements in the system. The sunflower in particular has become a widespread invasive species across many areas of the planet and over time has become a ubiquitous symbol for Zöllner and its people, with sunflower motifs and images found in many Zöllnerian works of art, logos, and folktales. 
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Comments15
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bjbon14's avatar
Such an interesting planet with great information! Nice work!