Rationalizing a Firefly - Serenity type setting

[thrash]

Originally Posted by shawnhcorey

The 'Verse cannot be considered irrational simply because we do not know what rational is.

That's untrue. Nothing in recent extrasolar planetology has invalidated orbital mechanics, nor is terraforming a world made primarily out of water ice ever a good idea.

Regardless of how the 'Verse formed, there is only a very narrow range of distances from each star where a world can be considered "habitable," and only so many worlds large enough to retain an atmosphere can orbit in that range. Given this, a 'Verse of five (or so) stars can rationally support maybe a dozen habitable planets and moons -- not more than 70. A 'Verse of more than 70 habitable planets and moons needs dozens of stars -- which is an open cluster, not a star system.