Determining the Qualities of Stars

Varyon · 08-02-2018, 07:34 AM

I've decided to start working some more on my space opera setting, and have determined a number of things I had initially put off, but need help with some of the numbers. Specifically, I need help with the stars that humans are able to settle.

A quirk of the setting's FTL travel is that it is only possible to use it to travel between very specific stars - all G0V's (comparable to the Sun, but a bit bigger and brighter) with an undefined peculiarity to its solar (stellar?) wind. Additionally, within the star's heliosphere (astrosphere?), it's possible to use boost drives that get incredibly high pseudovelocities. Naturally, humans were unaware of this FTL travel until after they sent a generation ship fleet to a nearby G0V star that had been determined to have an orbiting planet that would support life. As no such nearby star exists, I had to make one up, and to give it a decent name, I decided to make up a new constellation. Said constellation is the Harpy, and the star in question is the "eye" of the Harpy, named Harpyia Mita (if I butchered that, let me know and I'll adjust).

So, here's what I need to know.

How bright would a G0V star be? Specifically, what would one that is 5 light years away (as is the case for Harpyia Mita) look like from Earth - would it be the brightest star in the night sky, or would Sirius still hold that title? Where would its habitable zone be located, and would there need to be any peculiarities to look out for (I recall Proxima Centauri was found to have a planet in its habitable zone, but it was determined the planet would be battered too much by the solar wind to actually be habitable)? Finally (for now), how large would such a star's heliosphere likely be?

EDIT: If the answers to all of these questions are hidden within GURPS Space, a response of "Just buy GURPS Space" is acceptable (considering doing so regardless), but page numbers would be appreciated.

08-02-2018, 07:34 AM	#1
Varyon Join Date: Jun 2013	Determining the Qualities of Stars I've decided to start working some more on my space opera setting, and have determined a number of things I had initially put off, but need help with some of the numbers. Specifically, I need help with the stars that humans are able to settle. A quirk of the setting's FTL travel is that it is only possible to use it to travel between very specific stars - all G0V's (comparable to the Sun, but a bit bigger and brighter) with an undefined peculiarity to its solar (stellar?) wind. Additionally, within the star's heliosphere (astrosphere?), it's possible to use boost drives that get incredibly high pseudovelocities. Naturally, humans were unaware of this FTL travel until after they sent a generation ship fleet to a nearby G0V star that had been determined to have an orbiting planet that would support life. As no such nearby star exists, I had to make one up, and to give it a decent name, I decided to make up a new constellation. Said constellation is the Harpy, and the star in question is the "eye" of the Harpy, named Harpyia Mita (if I butchered that, let me know and I'll adjust). So, here's what I need to know. How bright would a G0V star be? Specifically, what would one that is 5 light years away (as is the case for Harpyia Mita) look like from Earth - would it be the brightest star in the night sky, or would Sirius still hold that title? Where would its habitable zone be located, and would there need to be any peculiarities to look out for (I recall Proxima Centauri was found to have a planet in its habitable zone, but it was determined the planet would be battered too much by the solar wind to actually be habitable)? Finally (for now), how large would such a star's heliosphere likely be? EDIT: If the answers to all of these questions are hidden within GURPS Space, a response of "Just buy GURPS Space" is acceptable (considering doing so regardless), but page numbers would be appreciated. __________________ GURPS Overhaul Last edited by Varyon; 08-02-2018 at 07:38 AM.