Aqueous Liquids The abundance of water on terrestrial planets is often a misconception: What many refer to offhandedly as "water" is often an …
Autotrophs At the very bottom of the food chain are autotrophs, those organisms that produce carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for higher …
Base Metals Iron and nickel are two widespread, easily recognized examples of base metals, or those metals that oxidize relatively easily. …
Carbon Compounds Often referred to as the building blocks of life, carbon compounds form the basis of most organic material; hence, they are …
Complex Organisms Organic flora and fauna growing on worlds across the cluster technically qualify as “alien life,” though none of it has …
Felsic Magma The churning core of lava planets is rife with felsic magma, or silicate material that is infused with lighter elements, from …
Heavy Metals In small quantities, heavy metals are vital to life, providing essential minerals for biological processes. In bulk, they are …
Ionic Solutions An electrolyte found in a raw, natural form is called an ionic solution, especially in terms of planetary astronomy. Only after …
Microorganisms Any life form too small to be detected by the unaided human eye qualifies as a microorganism, yet as a whole, this …
Noble Gas This colorless, odorless, and usually nonflammable substance is one of seven known monoatomic gases, or those that do not easily …
Noble Metals Highly resistant to corrosion and oxidation, noble metals are somewhat rarer than base metals, yet they are just as sought after …
Non-CS Crystals The orderly, compact nature of crystals makes them well suited for a staggering array of manufacturing processes, in which they …
Planktic Colonies Harvested in mass quantities, planktic colonies are used for much more than just a bulk food source that flourishes in …
Reactive Gas Consisting of any number of volatile atomic structures, reactive gases are the most useful when applied to the fields of …
Suspended Plasma When found in harvestable quantities beyond the unapproachable heat of an active star, plasma is said to be in a “suspended” …