Algae planet

The Fleet above the Algae planet

An unnamed algae-bearing planet is the Fleet's destination after its main food stores are contaminated and its population left in a starvation state.

The planet has a debris ring, likely created from the disintegration of a small planetoid such as a moon or asteroid. The planet also appears to have seas or oceans based on its blue-green appearance. An extremely large radiation contaminated star cluster is located at least on one side of its surrounding space.

The planet has edible, protein-rich algae on the planet, as scouted by Athena.

After the Fleet manages to bring almost all of its ships through the almost-unnavigable and deadly star cluster cloud, harvest of the algae and processing begins to resupply the Fleet (The Passage).

Two weeks later, as harvesting is wrapping up, Galen Tyrol mysteriously detects the presence of the Temple of Five, built by the Thirteenth Tribe approximately 4,000 years before. The Temple is supposedly where the Eye of Jupiter is stored. The artifact is believed to point the way to the Thirteenth Tribe's destination, Earth.

Shortly after Chief Tyrol discovers the Temple of Five, the Cylons appear over the planet, seeking the Eye.

A standoff ensues as Admiral Adama threatens to bombard the planet with Galactica’s remaining nuclear warheads if the Cylons attempt to explore the planet. In turn, Number Three and Cavil threaten to destroy any craft that attempts to return to Galactica from the surface.

The planet orbits a star on the verge of going supernova. Lt. Gaeta estimates the star could nova at any time with little warning (The Eye of Jupiter).

Notes

• Algae are simple aquatic organisms. Many are actually processed on the real-world Earth for use, among other things, as nutritional additives or foods.
• This planet, located near a star cluster, is the same one that Gaius Baltar and Number Three discern as the source of an artifact in determining the identities of the last five Cylon agents, or a clue to Earth.