Terminus (planet)
| Terminus | |
|---|---|
| Universe | The Foundation Series |
| Notable locations | Terminus City, City Hall, Time Vault |
| Notable races | Humans |
| Notable people | Salvor Hardin |
| Created by | Isaac Asimov |
| Genre | Science fiction space opera |
Terminus is a fictional planet at the edge of the Galaxy in Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series, home of the Foundation (later capital of the Foundation Federation).
Terminus is the sole planet orbiting an isolated star. Its nearest inhabited neighbor is Anacreon, 8 parsecs (26 light years) away, and it lies approximately 10,000 parsecs from the capital of the First Galactic Empire, Trantor, near the galactic center.
There are almost no visible stars in its sky, only the huge lens of the Milky Way Galaxy. The nearby stars of the Province of Anacreon are known as "The Diamonds", with the expanse of the Galaxy described as "The Lens". The Ecliptic plane of Terminus appears to be near-perpendicular to its orbit around the Galactic nucleus, as the Lens is visible in the night sky throughout its year, while the Diamonds appearance appears to be seasonal. The visibility of the Magellanic Clouds is not discussed.
Terminus has a very high water/land ratio, with the capital, Terminus City, situated on the planet's only truly large island (not quite a continent). The planetary ocean contains a total of approximately 10,000 inhabited islands. In this way, Terminus resembles the Japanese Archipelago, culturally as well as in terms of technological prowess (see below).
Terminus's climate is mild. Like all known habitable planets it has a nickel-iron core which produces a significant magnetic field; however, it has almost no metals in its surface rocks. In the Foundation's early years, steel was so valuable that it was used to coin money.
Prior to human occupation, a few lower forms of life existed on Terminus. However, once humans arrived (along with their supporting species), these native life forms were crowded out and became extinct in the wild. However, breeding populations were conserved at various Universities.
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