The Temple of Hopes

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The Temple of Hopes', known to the Colonials as the Temple of Five is a special temple built on the algae planet by the Thirteenth Tribe approximately 4,000 years before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.

Based on Laura Roslin's research from the Sacred Scrolls, the five pentagonally-shaped pillars inside the temple were fashioned after five priests devoted to "The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken."

The temple is rediscovered by Galen Tyrol, who mysteriously senses the Temple's presence in a nearby mountain side.

The Cylons are interested in the location as well, guided by a Hybrid's cryptic information on the location of the Eye of Jupiter, an artifact that supposedly points the way to Earth. One Cylon, a Number Three, believes a correlation exists with the Temple and five missing Cylons lost to memory. The Colonials note that the Temple is related to five priests in some way, but Roslin's full detailing of their human connection to Admiral Adama is interrupted by another crisis.

The Eye's location, its form or purpose is sought by the Colonials and Cylons. Chief Tyrol studies the circular decorations, or mandalas, as well as ancient glyphs located on the central spire.

In fear of the Cylons capturing the site, the Colonials place multiple G-4 packs around the central spire for use in the event of the Temple's imminent compromise (The Eye of Jupiter).

After the algae planet's star begins to nova, Tyrol and other Colonials, watching the event after evacuating the Temple, realize that the dying star's appearance greatly resembles the Temple's mandala, indicating that the Eye of Jupiter is actually the star itself. The Colonials attempt to destroy the Temple, but a Cylon party has entered the structure moments earlier and removes the detonation caps from the explosives.

The star's light or another effect soon activates the mechanisms inside the Temple. The Number Three enters a shaft of light hitting one spot within the Temple, where she witnesses a persistent image of five beings she believes to be the missing five Cylons. However, when the device deactivates, she dies on the spot. Gaius Baltar attempts to use the now inactive vision system after Three's death, but is captured by Chief Tyrol and eventually returned to Galactica.

As with much in the star system, the Temple of Five is destroyed as the nova's shockwave obliterates the planet. A review of the event by the Fleet's leadership determines that the Thirteenth Tribe used the Temple of Five (and its star) as a visual reference to the next way point to Earth, the remains of a similar nova in the Ionian system (Rapture).

Related imagery

Galen Tyrol at the Temple of Five.
The Temple of Five.

Notes

According to the episode's podcast, the interior of the Temple of Five is an abandoned potash silo within the British Columbia railyards. The location was previously used for the large ordnance storage room of Ragnar Anchorage (where Aaron Doral is left behind in the Miniseries).
Galen Tyrol's discovery of the Temple of Five may be related to being one of the Final Five; themselves having come from the home of the Thirteenth Tribe, according to the Hybrid in "Faith".