Unidentified red giant (Gardaji Rift)


A red giant star orbited close to a white dwarf in the Gardaji Rift, a part of the Outer Rim Territories region of the galaxy. Plasma from the red giant was pulled toward the white dwarf and then flung outward in a glowing spiral of red and purple gas, which resembled a large pinwheel and provided an impressive source of illumination in the skies of the planet Zonama Sekot.

Description


A red giant star was located within a trinary star system in the Gardaji Rift, which was part of the Gardaji sector in the Outer Rim Territories region of the galaxy. The red giant orbited close to a white dwarf star. A yellow dwarf lay at a distance of several light-months from the pair and was orbited by the sentient planet Zonama Sekot until the year 29 BBY, when the planet left the system.

The white dwarf pulled from the red giant a ribbon of plasma, which then curled around the smaller star and was flung outward in a long spiral of red and purple ionized gas. The motion of the double-star system and the gas resembled a large pinwheel that stretched across the northern sky of Zonama Sekot, illuminating the planet both during the day and at night.

History


When they visited Zonama Sekot in 29 BBY, the Human Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker; the Human starship designer Raith Sienar; and the Priapulin pilot Charza Kwinn were all impressed by the glowing display of the double-star system.

Behind the scenes


The red giant first appeared in Rogue Planet, a 2000 novel written by Greg Bear. The Essential Atlas, a 2009 reference book, placed the Gardaji Rift, and therefore the red giant, in grid square M-1.

The 2012 book The Essential Reader's Companion later claimed that during the events of Rogue Planet, Zonama Sekot was situated in square M-3 instead. However, that placement would result in the star system containing the planet at the time to be located outside of the Gardaji sector, in which lay the Gardaji Rift, the location of Zonama Sekot in Rogue Planet. As a result, this article treats the placement from The Essential Reader's Companion to be erroneous.

Appearances

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