New Caprica

For the Video Game's "New Caprica", see New Caprica (Video Game).

New Caprica is the name given to the harsh but fairly habitable planet found by The Fleet. It was discovered by Racetrack by mere happenstance -- after the Raptor she was in Jumped to the wrong coordinates.

Due to the surrounding nebulae, DRADIS is rendered practically useless -- an attribute which made the planet prime for colonization by the Fleet's survivors. With this news, and unable to continue jumping to Caprica, Racetrack jumped back to Galactica, providing information and sensor readings on the planet.

The planet later becomes a galvanizing issue which Tom Zarek believes -- and believes correctly -- would swing the vote Baltar's way (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I).

Due to Baltar's ascension to the presidency, he ordered the colonization of the planet. Settling on the planet, the major population center on New Caprica became New Caprica City, which itself is populated by 3,000+ survivors.

Eventually, due to the detonation of a nuclear warhead (provided by Baltar to the Number Six copy called Gina) the Cylons detected the resultant radiation phenomenon by chance one year later, and one light-year away. After jumping to New Caprica the Cylons find the humans and humanity's traitor-turned-president some 380 days into Baltar's presidency (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II). The remnants of the fleet jump away to an unknown location while Balter surrenders.