Ivory
| ||
| Orbital characteristics | ||
| Mass (Kg) | 7.99E+18 | |
| Radius (Km) | 77.1 | |
| Solar Day (h) | 9.29 | |
| Orbital Period (days) | .71 | |
| Semi-Major Axis (Km) | 1.78E+04 | |
| Periapsis (AU) | 15,793(km) | |
| Apoapsis (AU) | 19,881(km) | |
| Albedo | .09 | |
| Surface Temperature (K) | 182 | |
| Surface Gravity (m/s^2) | .08 | |
| Axial Tile (degrees) | 3.05 | |
| Inclination (degrees) | 2.04 | |
| Orbital Speed (Km/s) | 23 | |
| Satellites | None | |
Ivory is a small, irregularly shaped moon of Momiji, itself a major satellite of Indigo within the Atos System. With a radius of only 77.1 km and a surface gravity of approximately 0.08 m/s², Ivory lacks sufficient self-gravity to have relaxed into a spherical form. It is therefore generally understood as an irregular satellite: a dark, battered, asteroid-like body whose shape is defined by ancient impacts, fractured crustal masses, and long-term preservation in cold, airless conditions.
Although commonly listed among the recognized moons of the Indigoan subsystem, Ivory is not comparable in scale or structure to major rounded moons such as Tarsica, Fenrir, or Styx. Its small size, low albedo, and heavily cratered terrain suggest a body that may have originated as a captured minor object, an impact fragment, or a remnant from the early formation of the Indigo-Momiji system. Its surface is dominated by ancient bombardment features, rough highlands, dark regolith, and limited frost deposits concentrated near the polar regions.
Ivory occupies a subordinate place in the orbital hierarchy of the Atos System. Rather than orbiting Indigo directly, it orbits Momiji, making it one of the few known examples in the system of a moon possessing a smaller satellite of its own. This arrangement has made Ivory a subject of interest in Bassaridian astronomical education, where it is often used to illustrate the nested structure of planetary systems and the distinction between major spherical moons and smaller irregular satellites.
North Polar Regions
The North Polar Regions of Ivory are dark, cold, and heavily cratered. A thin cover of frost and ice lies across the highest latitudes, especially along the polar rim and within colder depressions, but most of the underlying terrain remains exposed. Large impact basins, crater chains, worn rims, and rough ejecta fields dominate the surface. The polar frost brightens the margins without concealing the moon’s battered topography.
The northern hemisphere preserves some of the oldest visible terrain on Ivory. Broad crater floors lie beside broken uplands, collapsed ridges, and irregular scarps, while smaller impacts are scattered across nearly every exposed surface. Because Ivory is not spherical, the northern terrain does not form a smooth polar cap in the manner of larger moons. Instead, the polar region follows the moon’s uneven outline, with jagged highlands, sloped crater walls, and shadowed depressions producing a broken and asymmetrical appearance.
The low albedo of the moon gives much of the north a muted charcoal and brown-grey tone, with brighter frost deposits confined to limited zones of cold-trapped ice. These deposits are thought to persist mainly in sheltered hollows and crater floors where sunlight remains weak and surface temperatures remain low for extended periods.
Equatorial Regions
The Equatorial Regions of Ivory are dominated by dark cratered plains, immense impact basins, and broad stretches of exposed rocky ground. Several very large circular basins define the equatorial belt, many with smoother, darker floors set inside sharply preserved rims. Between them lie dense fields of smaller craters, overlapping ejecta blankets, and rough highland belts broken by fractures and degraded escarpments.
This is the most varied part of the moon’s surface. Some sectors consist of relatively smooth plains marked by later impacts, while others are more broken and uneven, with clustered craters and irregular ridges cutting across older basin margins. The equatorial terrain is dry, airless, and geologically inert at the surface, with its present form set by repeated bombardment and long preservation under cold conditions.
The irregular shape of Ivory is especially evident along the equatorial regions, where broad lobes, uneven ridgelines, and asymmetrical basin rims interrupt what would otherwise be a continuous belt of terrain. Rather than presenting a clean horizon, Ivory’s equator is likely marked by abrupt changes in elevation, exposed fracture faces, and battered promontories created by ancient impacts and structural disruption.
The low reflectivity of Ivory is especially evident here, where darker regolith and shadowed basin floors dominate much of the landscape. The lack of substantial internal activity means that most equatorial features are ancient, with newer impacts layered over much older terrain rather than erased by volcanic or tectonic renewal.
Southern Polar Regions
The Southern Polar Regions of Ivory are brighter than much of the equator, with frost and ice spread more broadly across the highest latitudes and along cold-trapping depressions. A pale southern cap extends over the polar margin, collecting in crater floors, low basins, and sheltered hollows. Even with this brighter cover, the underlying terrain remains clearly visible, including large worn craters, rough basin edges, and broken upland surfaces.
The south preserves the same ancient impact-scarred character seen elsewhere on the moon, but with a stronger contrast between dark exposed ground and lighter frost deposits. Large circular depressions remain common, and several broad basins continue across the lower southern latitudes before merging into the frost-brightened polar zone. The result is a cold and stable southern hemisphere shaped by cratering, regolith accumulation, and persistent polar frost rather than by active surface change.
As with the northern pole, the southern polar region is not arranged around a smooth spherical geometry. Its frost deposits follow Ivory’s uneven physical form, collecting in shadowed basins and recessed terrain rather than forming a uniform cap. This gives the southern polar region an irregular, patchy appearance, with pale frost fields interrupted by dark ridges, exposed basin rims, and steep-walled depressions.
Physical Character
Ivory is best classified as an irregular moon rather than a rounded planetary satellite. Its small radius and extremely low surface gravity indicate that the body has not achieved hydrostatic equilibrium. Its present shape is therefore likely the result of primordial accretion, impact erosion, and possible fragmentation rather than internal reshaping by gravity.
The moon’s surface is ancient and inactive. There is no evidence of atmosphere, liquid water, large-scale volcanism, or sustained tectonic activity. Its dark coloration, low albedo, and heavily cratered surface suggest a regolith rich in dark silicates, carbonaceous material, or space-weathered impact debris. Limited frost deposits survive mainly near the poles and in permanently or semi-permanently shadowed depressions.
Because of its irregular form, local gravity on Ivory would vary noticeably from one region to another. Steep slopes, crater rims, and elongated ridges may produce unusual surface conditions, while the weak gravity would allow ejecta from impacts to travel long distances or escape the moon entirely. These characteristics make Ivory more similar to a captured asteroid or rubble-like minor body than to the larger, rounded moons of the outer Atos System.
Mythology
- Main article: Ivory (Reformed Stripping Path)
In Bassaridian astronomical and religious interpretation, Ivory is often understood through its relationship to Momiji and Indigo. Its small size and irregular form distinguish it from the more prominent planetary bodies of the Atos System, giving it a symbolic association with remnant matter, subordinate motion, and the hidden structures of celestial order. Within educational and mythological treatments of the system, Ivory is commonly used to illustrate how even minor bodies may occupy meaningful places within the greater cosmic hierarchy.
