Vale



Vale is the third planet in the HD 166 system.

Characteristics
Vale is the second largest member of a burgeoning planetary system around the young star HD 166. The planet is less than 200 million years old, and very similar to Earth at the same age, blanketed in a thick, stormy atmosphere of methane and other greenhouse gases that obscure the surface from orbital observers. Vale's high volcanic activity sends massive amounts of dust into the atmosphere and gives it a hazy green appearance from space.

Life
No life of any kind has been found on Vale, and it is likely life, if it appears, will not appear for another 500 million to 1 billion years.

Discovery
Vale and the six other planets in the HD 166 system were revealed in the fall of 2093 during a routine NASA study of young stars. After Vale was noted to be in HD 166's habitable zone, several space agencies immediately began to plan future scientific studies and even missions to the planet due to it possibly mirroring the early Earth.