Vlerëi

From Almeopedia

Vlerëi [vlɛ ˈrjɛ i] is the name of a planet, the next farther out from Almea. It's named after the goddess Vlerë.

It’s bright blue in color; its brightness varies with its distance; at opposition it’s brighter than Išira. In a telescope, it’s a bright disk with clear polar caps and permanent though vague darker markings, which have been used to estimate a day of about 29 hours. Naturally, Almeans take this to mean that it's a habitable world much like Almea; there are hints that the iliu believe the same. What's clear is that it isn't much like Mars.

Its period is 528 Almean days. As an outer planet it shows retrograde motion, which has been a puzzle for Almean astronomers. Both Caďinorian and Axunemi astronomers came up with the idea of epicycles, though it was difficult to make the models very predictive. The Érenati scientist Nóe Calseoma, working with the Xurnese idea of geocentrism, was the first to posit an elliptical orbit for Vlerëi and explain the retrograde motion (3118).

The planet gives its name to the fourth month of the Verdurian calendar, the first month of summer.

Etymology: Caď. Vehariae gen. of Vlerë, Ver. Vlerëi, Bar. Feorêl, Ismaîn Veŕişe; Wede:i Yaujina:n ‘beetle god', Cuolese Acöji; Ax. early Welevo ‘old blue’, later Meidimexi ‘field-mistress', X. Midzimes, Ṭeôši Mizimek; Cuêzi Sualilenda ‘sky maiden’; Uyseʔ Themtet ‘blue god'; Elkarîl Gjêthên ‘pale blue lord'.

Preceded by: Almea

Vlerëi Ënomai IV

Succeeded by: Hírumor