Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

(though not chemically identical) atmospheres. One is 90 million miles from

the primary and has a period of 285 days; the other is 67 million miles out

and has a period of 224

And all the Stars a Stage 109

days. The planet at 90 million miles is of especial interest and will be

reported on in detail; the other is too hot to support life except at the

poles, and even there only for half the year, as the planet has a pronounced

axial tilt.

“Finally, there is a very high albedo planet with a diameter of 4,100

miles, going around its primary in 81 days at a distance of 30 million

miles. It appears to have been belted into a smooth ball, and is surrounded

by a slight haze spectroscopically identified as composed of vaporized

metals, predominantly heavy radioactives. It is of remarkable density and

has a high eccentric orbit.”

There was no doubt about it now. The third world, even seen from just

outside its atmosphere, was wholly inhabitable. In contrast to the second

planet, the air showed no detectable carbon dioxide, and hence no

greenhouse effect would exist to run up the surface temperature.

Thermocouple studies showed that to be intolerably torrid all the same at

the equator, all year round-for the planet had no axial tilt, and hence no

seasons-but there were cool poles, and two “temperate” zones for which a

better adjective would be “balmy.” The spectroscope also showed the air to

be somewhat low in oxygen; but in view of the prevailing planet-wide,

eternal summer, this was not a real disadvantage. At least nobody on this