Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

to 160 miles in diameter. No landings attempted on the moons as yet.

“Between this world and its nearest neighbor inward there is a wide gap

which has defied explanation and presumably is responsible for the computer

having described this nine-planet system as having 10 planets. The next

planet is 850 million miles from its sun, 40,000 miles in diameter and with

a period of 30.5 years. It is accompanied by seven small moons and one of

about 3,900 miles diameter. This large moon is 800,000 miles from its

planet. The planet itself presents a speckled appearance, as though it had

many high, snow-clad mountain chains, although this is obviously

impossible. No landings.

“The next world is a small high-albedo gas giant 450 million miles from its

primary, with a diameter of 15,000 miles and period of 12.25 years. It has

two small moons and exhibits the usual methane-ammoniahydrogen

characteristics. No landings.

“Inside the orbit of this world there is a highly unstable and not very

dense belt of meteoric and planetary matter with wide gaps and many members

which fail to conform to the orbital plane of the system as a whole. The

total amount would make up a planet about 3,000 miles in diameter, and the

belt probably represents such a planet, torn apart (or prevented from

forming) by the gravitational force of the biggest of the gas giants. It is

not so widespread as to represent a serious hazard to navigation.

“The most interesting objects in the system are twin planets, each 7,000

miles in diameter, of considerable density, and exhibiting extensive