Polaris is the 4th Interstellar Object and the 1st Late Stage Star obtained in The Beyond Bubble Universe, which can generate Stardust. (Unlocked at Rank 19)
In-Game Description[]
"Like most stars, Polaris spent 90% of its life in the main sequence. It exited that stage when the core’s hydrogen ran out. Now, Polaris Aa, the top star in a triple system, is fusing helium atoms in its core. That energy boost swelled the star into a yellow supergiant."
Traits[]
Common[]
- A Spectrum of Stars (Speed):
"Polaris is spectral type F, one of seven classes based on color, temperature, and elements detected in the outer shell. F means yellow, medium hot, with hydrogen, iron, and other metals present. Spectral types range from blue (O, B, A) to yellow (F, G) to red (K, M)."
- H-R Diagram (Payout):
"The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram charts stars by luminosity, radius (dwarf to giant), spectral type, color, and temperature. The main sequence cuts diagonally across the center. After a short stint as a yellow star, Polaris will cool and turn red, moving to the right of the chart."
Rare[]
- Late-Stage Star (Payout):
"Once a star’s core is weaned of hydrogen, it matures into a late-stage star. As before, mass dictates size, color, luminosity, and temperature. But now it also determines the manner of death—following a long, gradual decline or in a cataclysmic explosion?"
Epic[]
- Cosmology (Speed):
"The scientific study of the universe asks the very biggest questions. How did it form? What came before? How does it work? Is it infinite? Will it die? All the pieces we observe—comets, moons, planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, and even voids—provide some answers."
- Dark Matter (Payout):
"Dark matter acts like a superhero. It’s everywhere in space and yet invisible. Its gravity distorts huge objects that we can see. It can even buttress a dwarf galaxy against annihilation by a giant one. The duo of dark matter and dark energy make up 95% of the universe."
- Dark Energy (Discount):
"Little is known about dark energy, except that it’s repulsive. Opposing gravity, this strange force causes matter to scatter rather than attract, pushing our universe to expand faster and faster. Dark energy makes up 68% of the universe’s mass-energy density."
Constellations[]
- Eridanus (1.5x Speed):
"Eridanus, The River, is the longest constellation in the sky. It starts near Rigel and twists and turns all the way to its brightest star, Achernar (“River’s End” in Arabic). It was named after Eridu, an early Sumerian city in the marshes of what is now southern Iraq."
- Orion (2x Speed):
"The hourglass shape of Orion, the Hunter, is so striking that the star pattern figures in many of the world’s oldest cultures, perhaps even those of early humans. It rises seasonally, visible north of the equator for half the year and south for the other half."
Astronomy Mission[]
Polaris' Astronomy Mission are two additional stars, Vega and Thuban, titled North Stars.
"Polaris is the North Star—for now. As Earth spins, it wobbles like a top, so the star above the North Pole changes. Thuban reigned 5,000 years ago. It will be Vega’s turn in 13,000 years. In 26,000 years, one full wobble from now, the throne returns to Polaris."
Vega[]
Vega (α Lyrae), in the northern constellation of Lyra, is a white main sequence star of spectral type A0Va. It was the northern pole star around 12,000 BCE and will rise to this position once more in the year 13,727. It is special for its relative closeness to Earth, its 0.0 magnitude, its role in the summer triangle, it's shape is an oval shape due to its rapid spinning. Due to it's rapid rotation, it makes Vega rotate on it's axis once every 12.5 hours.
Thuban[]
Thuban (α Draconis A), in the northern constellation of Draco, is a white giant of of spectral type A0IV, while its companion (α Draconis B) is a main sequence star of spectral type A1V. Of these only Alpha Draconis A is present in the game. Thuban was the northern pole star from the 4th to the 2nd millennium BC.
North Stars[]
Reduce Polaris cost by up to x10 at Rank 9.
| Name | Duration(hh: mm: ss) | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| North Stars I | 00:05:00 | Polaris discount x2 |
| North Stars II | 00:15:00 | Polaris discount x3 |
| North Stars III | 00:50:00 | Polaris discount x4 |
| North Stars IV | 02:10:00 | Polaris discount x5 |
| North Stars V | 04:40:00 | Polaris discount x6 |
| North Stars VI | 08:50:00 | Polaris discount x7 |
| North Stars VII | 15:20:00 | Polaris discount x8 |
| North Stars VIII | 24:10:00 | Polaris discount x9 |
| North Stars IX | 36:30:00 | Polaris discount x10 |
System Components[]
Star[]
The Polaris (α Ursae Minoris) star system in the northern constellation of Ursa Minor is made up of three stars (triple star system), Polaris Aa, Polaris Ab, and Polaris B. Of these only Polaris Aa is present in the game. This is a yellow giant of spectral type F7Ib, while Polaris B is a main sequence star of spectral type F3V. The spectral type of Polaris Ab doesn't seem to be known yet.
Achievements[]
- Pulsing to a Beat (Rank 3):
"Polaris is the closest Cepheid—a star whose shine pulses with a steady beat. It dims, brightens, and dims as the core strains to maintain enough heat to fuse helium. The longer the pulse, the higher the star’s luminosity. Polaris is 1,260 times brighter than the Sun."
- Galactic Yardstick (Rank 6):
"Cepheids like Polaris make excellent galactic yardsticks. By comparing their intrinsic luminosity with brightness as seen from Earth, astronomers can calculate their distance. Measuring Cepheids led to the discovery of Andromeda as a separate galaxy from the Milky Way."
Real Image[]
![A photo of Polaris A (big, central star) and Polaris B (small, right below Polaris A[1].](/wiki/File:North_double_star.jpg "North double star.jpg (14 KB)")
![A photo of Thuban (Alpha Draconis)[2].](/wiki/File:Alpha_Draconis.jpg "Alpha Draconis.jpg (87 KB)")
Sources[]
- Полярная звезда (Pole star) — Polaris image above taken
- Vega — Vega image above taken
- Thuban — Thuban image above taken
