Earth

Earth, as seen from orbit

Earth is the third planet in a solar system located approximately 25 kilolights from the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. It is orbited by a single moon.

When it was discovered in 1976 CE by the Culture, it was home to an uncontacted Level 3 "human-ish" civilisation (Earthhumans), the only intelligent life in the system.

History

The Escarpment-class GCU Arbitrary, having redeployed in 1975 CE from the General Systems Vehicle Bad For Business (which was a thousand lightyears corewards) discovered the planet after a rest and refit layover. It then arrived in orbit around the planet in November 1976 CE and began a Contact survey of the civilisation there, which lasted approximately 14 months. Diziet Sma thought this survey was meant to assess the planet and its civilization of humans for Contact with the Culture.

During this time, Li argued that these aliens should be eradicated with a micro black hole.

The Arbitrary ultimately decided against contact (originally suggested by Diziet Sma) and instead opted to use Earth as a control in the Culture's long-term comparison of intervention and non-interference. The Arbitrary broke orbit on January 2, 1978, CE.

Listach Petrain became interested in Earth about a hundred years after this survey. Despite the Arbitrary's suggestion of 10,000 years as an appropriate period of study, Earth was finally contacted c. 2100 CE, with an eponymous Contact-approved Earth Extro-Information Pack.