Solar

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Solar
Planetary Compendium
Stellar Class	M
Radius	8,163 skm
Gravity	32 mG
Equilibrium Temperature	3,500 Kelvin
Number of Object(s)	Lava Bombs Solar Prominences
Political Information
Inhabitant(s)	Vulcain Gores Anglar army Solar Satellite
Appearance(s)
Main Game(s)
Comic(s)	Lylat Wars Comic

“Scientists have been saying for years that nothing could possiblily live on this star's surface, but we've scanned Andross's ships going to and from the star. Only he would be foolhardy as to try to find military benefit in exploring a red dwarf like Solar. It's another situation we need to have you to check out for us Fox. Nothing in the Cornerian armoury can withstand the extreme temperature near the surface of the star, but your Arwings should be able to make it.”

—General Pepper's Flight Log, pg 70

Solar is a molten planet situated in the Lylat System. It was the site of several battles during the Lylat Wars and afterwards.

Overview

Solar is situated in the middle of the "X-Y-Z Triangle", and because of this Cornerian Scientists speculate the molten state is formed by being in between the locations of Sector X, Sector Y and Sector Z.

Its surface temperature around 3,500 K,* sometimes mistaking this planet as an M-class red dwarf star. In comparison, Lylat, a B-Class blue star, has a surface temperature of over 25,000 K. However, because it burns hotter and faster, a blue star has a life expectancy of a couple million years- the largest O and B type stars only last around a million. Solar burns much slower and so will last much longer; scientists predict it will live for about a hundred billion years, if not more.

*Solar's surface temperature may be higher than 3,500 K. The Arwings used by the Star Fox team are shielded against temperatures up to 9,000 degrees (Centigrade or Fahrenheit is not specified, although 3,500 K is still lower than 9,000 ºF or 9,000 ºC [3,500 K = 5,840.33 ºF and 3,226.85 ºC, to be exact]) but when flying over Solar in Star Fox 64, the team's Arwings will slowly take damage from Solar's heat, implying that the planet is hotter than 3,500 K or probably the Arwing's temperature is slowly rising while flying in Solar so that the Arwing is damaged from constant heat. It is worth mentioning that the Arwing cannot be destroyed in Solar's heat, however, only stripped down to a point where one hit will take it down.

Planetary Compendium

“The entire surface of Solar is covered with molten magma. Scientists are still uncertain as to why the planet never cooled from its original formation and remains in this "genesis" state. Some say that its position, directly in the center of the Sector X-Y-Z Triangle, may be the cause.”

—Star Fox 64.com

“With a surface temperature in excess of 3,500 degrees Kelvin, Solar is the undisputed hot spot in the Lylat System. When measured against other stars in the system, however, Solar looks downright frigid. Solar is a red M-Class dwarf, one of the coldest stars in the universe. In contrast, Solar's antithesis, a B-Class blue star, has a searing temperature of 25,000 degrees Kelvin and a life expectancy of a couple billion years. Luckily, M-Class stars burn the slowest and last the longest. Scentists predict that Solar will keep shining in the Lylat System for 100 billion years or more.”

—Lylat Datalink; One cool hot spot pg 75

History

Lylat Wars

Before the Lylat Wars, nearly everyone within the scientific community never believed that life could exist on a star, even one as cool in comparison as Solar. The brilliant but mad scientist Andross introduced life there just to spite his colleagues. Nevertheless, General Pepper sent the Star Fox team to investigate when a number of Venomian scout ships were detected approaching and leaving the area. What they discovered were biological monsters, the result of Andross's genetic experimentation that not only lived but thrived in the extremely hot environment.

The team battled through this hellish environment fighting creatures like Goreses, while receiving help from Bill Grey. They were forced to confront Vulcain, one of the most deadly bioweapons. Dodging its attacks, Fox McCloud was able to destroy the beast and put an end to Andross' mad biological terror. Life continued to flourish on Solar even after the war ended.

Anglar Blitz

Falco Lombardi travelled to Solar to meet up with Fox McCloud in attempts to unite against the Anglar Empire. To Falco's shock and anger, Fox had recruited Wolf O'Donnell to gain an advantage over the disbanding of their team. Despite hostilities with Wolf, Falco claimed he had spotted the new Solar Satellite on route to meet with them. After assuming its was indestructible based on analysis, the suggestion made by Wolf to cause the Satellite to topple over into the lava proved effective.

In the Comic

Solar appears in the Lylat Wars Comic, where events are both similar and different to the game's continuity. Arriving at the next mission, General Pepper assures the team that the Arwings will be able to withstand the extreme conditions on Solar. Although up to 9,000 degrees is the maximum strain the Arwing can endure, Slippy's scans of the surface indicate an even higher 13,000. Vulcian emerges from the lava, but is defeated by Fox ramming into its core. Suddenly the time bomb on Fox's Arwing goes off, making a deep hole in the hull, in addition, Falco and Slippy suffer the same fate. Pigma Dengar arrives at the scene, revealing that the Octopus on the hangar was a disguised spacecraft. But Pigma's scheme is foiled when the downed Arwings are lifted up by a tractor beam, revealed to be Falco's old wingmate Katt Monroe, much to his humiliation. Andrew and Pigma continue where they left off and attack the Catspaw. Suddenly Wolf arrives and opens fire on his teammates, scorning them both and exspells them from Star Wolf for acting without his approval. Wolf leaves the scene after reasoning that saving Fox's life is because he is Wolf's enemy, and their grudge has not yet been settled.

Trivia

• Since it is a molten planet, Solar slightly resembles Super Mario Galaxy's Melty Molten Galaxy.
• It was believed that Lylat was a binary star system, as the Nintendo Power guide calls Solar a star; however, the official Star Fox 64 website and subsequently Star Fox Command both consider Solar to be a planet, and the latter even depicts it with some solid patches of ground. Japanese materials reveal that Solar was always intended to be a planet, making this information either a mistranslation or a one-time localization. It is possible that Solar, like the planets Saturn or Jupiter in our own star system, is in fact a gas planet that generates some of its own heat but still receives most of its energy from the parent Lylat star.
• Solar's theme, which is a 135 beat per minute 4/4 time piece lasting 33 bars and therefore about 59 seconds, is shared with Sector Y in Star Fox 64 and Star Fox 64 3D, but not in Star Fox Command, where it uses an E minor remix of Sector X's theme.

Names in Other Languages

Language	Name
Japanese	(ソーラ, Sōra)

References

• NINTENDO POWER Star Fox 64: Official Nintendo Player's Guide. Redmond, WA, Nintendo of America. 1997.
• Star Fox 64 Keibunsha Guide. Nintendo of Japan. 1997.
• http://f.starfox-online.net/archives/starFox64.comReconstructed/solar.html
• http://sfc.krystalarchive.com/text/missionList.html