Lysara

Lysara, also known as "The Overgrown Moon" or "The Heart of Kirehe" (Kirehe name: Lysara) is a habitable extrasolar moon in a distant star system residing within the Andromeda Galaxy. The moon is well out of reach from ever being contacted by humans within the next few thousand years. Lysara is the 2nd moon of the gas giant Beknus. It is named after the deity who was believed to have died for the world and in its place returned it back to its lush, rich state, The great Lysara.
== Moon Information ==
=== Physical Characteristics ===
Lysara is approximately 30% smaller than Earth, although it has a much denser atmosphere and 60% the surface gravity. The moon has a diameter of 8993.77 kilometers at the equator, being slightly stretched due to the tidal forces from Beknus. The mass of the moon is only 30% that of Earths, with a density of 5.1805 g/cm³, making Lysara less dense than our own planet. Around 80% of the surface is land, with the other 20% being lakes and salty oceans. 
=== Atmosphere ===
The atmosphere of Lysara is a mix mostly of nitrogen (71.3%) and oxygen (23.5%). Smaller amounts of gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, argon, neon, and carbon monoxide are also present in the atmosphere. The high concentration of gases like carbon dioxide (1.76%) and sulfur dioxide (255 ppm) renders the atmosphere of Lysara unbreathable to humans, however nothing more than a filtration mask would be required to safely walk the surface of the moon. The overall surface pressure is around double that of the Earth, approximately 2.1 bar, or 30.45 psi. High concentrations of water vapor (3.35%) allow for some powerful weather patterns such as hurricanes, superstorms, and thunderstorms. The dynamic atmosphere of Lysara keeps the whole surface at temperate temperatures throughout the Beknulan year.
=== Internal Structure ===
Lysara is composed of a mostly silicate crust, with trillions of gallons of water underneath the surface, fertilizing the soil across the entire moon. This thin crust is also very active, shifting and reshaping itself every few hundred million years. The mantle of the moon is composed of silicate and is where elements and precious minerals form and get moved up into the moon's crust over time. The core of Lysara, similar to Earth, is a liquid iron core which spins and generates a powerful magnetic field, protecting the moon from harmful solar winds and radiation from Beknus' radiation belt. The decay of radioactive elements in the moon's mantle and core serves as natural sources of heating through hydrothermal vents and springs near or on the surface. 
=== Orbit & Rotation ===
Lysara is tidally locked to Beknus and completes an orbit every 29 and a half hours. It orbits at an average distance of 648,100 kilometers, having an apocenter of 648,200 kilometers and a pericenter of 648,000 kilometers. Lysara's orbit is slightly eccentric with an eccentricity of 0.001. Lysara orbits Beknus at its equator, having an orbital inclination of 1.27° respective to its parent planet. Orbiting at Beknu's equator, it is tilted at the same plane, approximately 80 degrees. This tilt causes intense seasons with some parts of the moon being daytime for half its year, while the other is night. 
=== Day-Night Cycle ===
Lysara receives significant light from its host star. As a result, Lysaran nights are never dark during half of the Beknulan year, but instead are more like Earthly dusk. Many Lysaran nights are illuminated by both Beknus' huge disk and the reflected light from other nearby moons. Truly dark nights are uncommon. Beknus occasionally eclipses its star at night for about 57 minutes, but the light reflected by the planet still keeps the night from being dark.
When star B shares the daytime sky with star A, at its closest it adds about half a percent to the total illumination. When the 2 stars are close together in the sky, the effect of Star B's more orange light is unnoticeable. But, as they separate over the years, an orange tint may be seen in areas shadowed from Star A's direct illumination. At its most distant, Star B is about 2,700 times dimmer than Star A and does not produce noticeable lighting effects. However, it still appears as a blindingly bright tiny orange disk in the sky.
Because of its high axial tilt (80°), Lysara exhibits considerable annual variation in the day-to-night ratio. In addition, its elliptical orbit produces seasonal temperature variations and a range in daytime illumination of about 50 percent.
File:AknusAB.png|Akrum A, and B in the same spot in the daytime sky
File:EnhancedBeknus.png
File:BeknusIllumination2.png|Beknus' disk illuminating Lysara on a mostly clear night
File:BeknusIllumination3.png|Akrum B and Beknus Illuminating the sky
=== Etymology ===
Lysara got its name from old folklore of the old Kirehe settlements and clans many generations ago, in mythology, The Great Lysara was someone who saved the Kirehe from a devastating natural disaster and died to restore life and peace to the moon. It is believed he was reborn into the heart of the moon to keep all Kirehe safe from danger, and that all Kirehe are connected with him, allowing a passage to a higher life after their death. The name became engraved into the history of the Kirehe civilization, with all Kirehe being taught about him at a young age. 
Although some Kirehe think this folklore may be fake, those who do are often ousted from clans and groups, being dubbed as "Kirehe'emalowan" (Defector of Lysara). These Kirehe often end up attempting to Lysara, wanting to believe but always questioning it. However, most of the time they come back to their clans through a reunion to Lysara. 
== Surface Features ==
=== World Map ===
Lysara's surface is mostly land, however, continental drift still occurs due to the moon's active core. An interactive world map of Lysara can be found here.
=== Continents ===
Lysara has 5 major continents, Netmanya, Yoahu, Nem Kat'lam, Orch Kat'lam, and Uenkes. Yoahu is the largest continent, with its plate being approximately 34% of Lysara's total land and sea area. Because most of the moon's surface is land, continental plate divides are often associated with towering mountain ranges and long underground rivers, as well as deep canyons and valleys. The continents on Lysara shift every couple hundred million years, as the same goes on Earth. Each continent has its unique sub-regions with diverse landscapes and life adapted to the conditions of each region. Life has evolved for billions of years upon these mostly untouched landscapes, but constantly shifting with continental drift. 
=== Oceans ===
Lysara's oceans have a higher salt concentration than on Earth, due to the smaller area of water on the surface oceans. The majority of Lysara's water is in underground oceans that spread across the entire moon, which is what causes the entire moon to be filled with life and flora despite the lack of surface water. Water often flows from the underground rivers that flow uphill into the oceans. It is estimated that there is 1.5x more water on Lysara than on Earth, 85% residing under the surface. The surface oceans also absorb carbon dioxide from the moon's atmosphere, detoxifying it and building the shells of mollusks and crustations, as well as coral growth. 
=== Polar Regions ===
== Biosphere ==
Category:Terrae
Category:Moons
Category:Life
Category:Procedural objects