Canon

Milky Way: Difference between revisions

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki

mNo edit summary
m (interesting thing to note; condensed the prior edit and removed a lot of unnecessary stuff)
 
(183 intermediate revisions by 67 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{era|H1|H2|H3|HW|H3R|FOR|TF|FS|GOO|CH|UP|HGN|ILB|TCP}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{ratings}}
{{Wikipedia}}
{{SeeWikipedia|Milky Way}}
[[File:Milky Way 2.jpg|thumb|The Milky Way as seen from [[Installation 00|the Ark]].]]
[[Image:Milky Way.jpg|thumb|The Milky Way seen in infrared from Earth.]]
The '''Milky Way''', known as '''Path Tolgreth''' to the [[Forerunner]]s,{{Ref/Novel|Id=HPoL24|HPoL|Chapter=24}} is a [[wikipedia:Barred spiral galaxy|barred spiral galaxy]].{{Ref/Reuse|YTAccurate}}{{Ref|See the [[#Production notes|production notes]] section}}
The '''Milky Way''' is the [[wikipedia:galaxy|galaxy]] where the [[Human]]s and the [[Covenant]] reside,<ref>[[Halo: Contact harvest]], page 26</ref> and is approximately 100,000 light years in diameter. It is a [[wikipedia:Barred spiral galaxy|barred spiral galaxy]] that lies within the [[wikipedia:Local group|local group]] of galaxies neighborhood, which is just a very small portion of the Universe. Visible from [[Earth]] as a band of light in the night sky, the Milky Way is just one of many galaxies in the observable universe, though the Milky Way has special significance to Humanity as it is the home galaxy of the planet, Earth.
[[Image:Ssc2008-10a.jpg|thumb|An overhead view of the Milky Way]]  


==Orion Arm==
It is the galaxy where [[human]]ity and the former [[Covenant]] client species reside,{{Ref/Novel|[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]|Page=26}} “The Covenant, as an empire, dominated much of the galaxy, though they would generally leave a world untouched unless it offered particular treasures, whether practical or religious”. The UNSC, however, is largely limited to the [[Orion Arm]] of the Milky Way.<ref name="Warfleet">''[[Halo: Warfleet]]'', p. 12-13</ref> The galaxy is also home to a number of other intelligent species, although only a small number of these have attained spacefaring or even technological status.{{Ref/Site|Id=bulkhead banter|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-bulkhead-banter|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Bulkhead Banter}} In total, the galaxy was home to quadrillions.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Divine Wind|Chapter=1}}
The Orion Arm is the origin for [[human|humanity]] and their home planet Earth, with at least 800 worlds colonized by the [[UNSC]] at one point. It is also the area of origin for the various races of the [[Covenant]], with possibly even more worlds. It is assumed to be the place of origin for the [[Forerunners]] as well, but their mysterious nature and advanced technology means that it is not known exactly where they came from, if they expanded further out through the galaxy, or even if they originated from outside of this galaxy.


The Orion Arm is the setting for the [[Human-Covenant War]] of the 26th Century and the far more ancient [[Forerunner-Flood War]], witnessing at least two massive wars. It is also the home of at least two [[Halo|Halo Installations]] and the teleporter to the [[Ark]] or Installation 00.
==Overview==
[[File:HWF - Full Galaxy map.jpg|thumb|A map of the Milky Way galaxy.{{Ref/Book|Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo}}]]
From outside, the Milky Way is a vaguely disk shaped galaxy with a bright center.{{Ref/Reuse|arklevel}} From inside however, the galaxy appears to be a clouded, bulbous band.{{Ref/Map|Halo 3|[[Orbital]]}}
 
It is orbited by two small satellite galaxies known as the [[Magellanic Clouds]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=clouds|[[Halo: Cryptum]]|Page=268}}
 
===Locations===
*[[Sagittarius Arm]]
**[[Ephsu system]]
*[[Kerrec Irruption]]
*[[IX-KA anomaly]]
*[[Rhotero]]
*[[Invicta]]
*[[Jad Sappar]]
*[[Greater Tiger]]
*[[Seclusion]]
*[[Norma Arm]]
**[[Coelest system]]
*[[Orion Arm]]
**[[Human colonies]] {{C|[[Prehistoric human civilization#Sphere of influence|prehistoric humans]]}}
**[[Covenant#Known Covenant worlds|Covenant systems and worlds]]
***[[Sangheili colonies]]
**[[Ecumene#Known regions, systems and worlds|Forerunner systems and worlds]]
*[[Scutum-Centaurus Arm]]
**[[Khaphrae system]]
*[[Cygnus Arm]]
**[[Korinth Prior system]]


==History==
==History==
===Forerunner-Flood War===
===Prehistory===
{{Main|Forerunner-Flood War}}
100,000 years before the present day, the previous galactic community was dominated by the [[Forerunner]]s, a now [[extinction|extinct]] species that possessed extremely advanced technology and [[Ecumene|an empire]] that spanned a significant portion of the galaxy. Millions of years before the rise of the Forerunners, an even more advanced civilization known as the [[Precursor]]s controlled the Milky Way. Having reached the pinnacle of [[Technological Achievement Tiers|technological advancement]], they were believed to have significantly contributed to the evolution of life across the galaxy, even created several species, such as Forerunners and humans. Over ten million years before the present, however, the Forerunners [[Forerunner-Precursor war|rose up against]] their creators in defiance of their decision to bestow their [[Mantle]] on humanity,{{Ref/Novel|Id=primordium|[[Halo: Primordium]]}} and seemingly ended their rule in the galaxy after destroying their last remnants in the [[Large Magellanic Cloud]].{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Silentium|Page=181-182}}
[[Image:Halo-7-coverage.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Optimal projection of the area covered by [[The Halo Array|the Halo Array.]]]]Prior to approximately the year 97,448 BC (Human years), the previous galactic community was dominated by the [[Forerunners]], a mysterious and now extinct species that possessed extremely advanced technology and an empire that spanned a significant portion of the galaxy. However, encounters with a parasitic sentient species, the [[Flood]], led to the [[Forerunner-Flood War]], with the Flood consuming or killing the great majority of the galaxy's sentient species as the Forerunners first studied them, and then tried to stop them. Eventually, the Forerunners were forced to construct the ultimate weapon, the [[Halo Array]], in order to stop them - at the same time, killing its builders. The Forerunners built safe havens, including the [[Shield World]]s and the [[Installation 00|Ark]], to save the remaining sentient species, before activating it, scouring the galaxy of all sentient life forms and killing the Flood except for samples kept on the [[Halos]], then releasing the saved species from their havens to their home worlds.


===Human-Covenant War===
The Forerunners, originating from [[Ghibalb]] in the [[Orion complex]], ruled a large portion of the galaxy for millions of years, affecting the development of other species as they saw fit. Around [[150,000 BCE]], [[human]]ity, still composed of many species, arose from their homeworld Earth, known as "Erde-Tyrene" at the time. They mastered interstellar travel and began to move [[Prehistoric human civilization|their civilization]] along the Orion Arm of the Milky Way. They later [[Human-San'Shyuum alliance|allied]] with the [[San'Shyuum]] species, forming a prosperous interstellar empire based on the [[planet]] [[Charum Hakkor]]. Around [[107,445 BCE]], humanity and their San'Shyuum allies came into contact with the Flood, a sentient parasite supposedly originating from the [[Large Magellanic Cloud]].{{Ref/Reuse|clouds}} Hundreds of systems were lost to the parasite in the [[Human-Flood war|resulting conflict]]. Meanwhile, humanity's aggressive expansion and the perceived violations of the [[Mantle]] prompted the Forerunners to take action and begin [[human-Forerunner wars|a war]] against humanity. Although the Flood later withdrew and seemingly died out from the galaxy, it had already weakened the humans enough to allow the Forerunners to emerge victorious.{{Ref/Novel|Id=cryptum|[[Halo: Cryptum]]}}
{{Main|Human-Covenant War}}
Almost 100,000 years afterward, the galaxy had recovered substantially, leading to the rise of two great civilizations the [[UNSC]], comprised of the majority of humanity and controlled from [[Earth]], and the [[Covenant]], a hegemony of many different species who worshiped the [[Forerunners]] as gods. Contact between the UNSC and Covenant was not peaceful, leading to the [[Human-Covenant War]], which destroyed hundreds of human colonies and killed billions of colonists and UNSC military personnel, since the Covenant had more advanced weaponry. The discovery of one of the Forerunners Halo installations set forth a series of events that would not only end the war, but also destroy the Covenant and begin the Covenant Civil War, or [[Great Schism]].


===Great Schism===
Following the war in approximately [[106,445 BCE]], the Forerunners dismantled humanity's civilization, regressing them into a [[Technological Achievement Tiers|Tier 7 species]]. The remaining humans were devolved and exiled to their homeworld, where they slowly began to redevelop [[Erde-Tyrene civilization|a primitive civilization]] under the tutelage of the Forerunner [[Lifeshaper]], the [[Librarian]].{{Ref/Reuse|cryptum}}
{{Main|Great Schism}}
Triggered by the replacement of the [[Elite]]s with the [[Brute]]s, the Elites left the Covenant, in the process that consumed a significant amount of the Covenant's populace and resources, creating the [[Covenant Separatists|Separatist]] faction. The Separatists, realizing that the [[Prophets]] were conducting an unjustified war against humanity and planning a misguided activation of the [[Halo Array]], allied with the UNSC to stop them, leading to the [[Battle of Installation 00]]. Here the Separatists crushed the remainder of the [[Covenant Loyalists]] and ended the war.


==Exploration==
===Activation of the Halo Array===
===UNSC===
{{Main|Forerunner-Flood war}}
[[Image:HaloStarChart.jpg|thumb|300px|A map of UNSC-controlled space.]]
{{Main|UNSC}}
====Solar System====
The colonization of the Milky Way includes the early colonization attempts of the [[UN]] and the UNSC, beginning with the colonization of the Solar System during the 2100's. The first planet believed to be colonized is [[Mars]], followed by the [[Jovian Moons]]. During [[2160]] - [[2164]], the Solar System was the site of the [[Interplanetary War]], the most brutal conflict known to man since World War II. The war was fought between the UN naval and infantry forces, the Neo-[[Communism|Communist]] [[Koslovics]] (led by hardliner [[Vladimir Koslov]]), and the [[Frieden]] rebels ([[Jovian Moons|Jovian]] secessionists). Following the successful [[Marine]] deployments on [[Mars]] during the [[Argyre Planitia Campaign]] of [[2163]], the [[UN]] ultimately defeated both Koslovic and Frieden rebels throughout the Solar System, thus forming the United Nations Space Command.


====Beyond====
10,000 years after humanity's conflict with the Flood, the parasite resurfaced and attacked worlds of the Forerunners' domain. Encounters with the Flood led to the [[Forerunner-Flood war]], with the Flood consuming or killing the great majority of the galaxy's sentient species as the Forerunners first studied them, and then tried to stop them. Eventually, the Forerunners were forced to activate the ultimate weapon, the [[Halo Array]], in order to stop them - at the same time, killing its builders. The Forerunners built safe havens, including the [[Shield World]]s and [[Installation 00|the Ark]], to save the remaining sentient species in plan known as the [[Conservation Measure]], before [[Great Purification|activating the Array]], scouring the galaxy of all sentient life forms and killing the Flood except for samples kept on the Halos, then [[reintroduction|releasing]] the saved species from their havens to their home worlds.
The development of the [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]] in 2291 allowed humanity to leave the confines of its home star system for the first time and explore the wider galaxy, ushering in an age of rapid colonisation and expansion. The first line of colony ships were unveiled in [[2310]], and on January 1st, [[2362]], the [[Odyssey]], the first colony ship capable of faster-than-light travel, was launched laden with troops and terraforming gear. Over the next 28 years, the UNSC began terraforming and colonising more than 210 worlds, which would become the Inner Colonies.


Colonial expansion continued and by [[2490]], UNSC colonial space encompassed over 800 worlds, large and small, in the [[Orion Arm]]. The success of colonization of the [[Outer Colonies]] made the Inner Colonies the primary stronghold, both military and economic, though they relied heavily on raw materials supplied by the Outer Colonies. During this period, the planet [[Reach]] (orbiting [[Epsilon Eridani]], right on Earth's metaphorical doorstep) became the UNSC's primary naval yard and training academy. Reach was a major producer of warships and colony vessels, as well as a training ground for covert operatives and Special Forces.
===Galactic recovery===
{{Main|Dark time}}
Almost 100,000 years afterward, the galaxy had recovered substantially, leading to the rise of two great civilizations; the [[UNSC]], comprised of the majority of humanity and controlled from [[Earth]], and the [[Covenant]], a hegemony of many different species who worshiped the Forerunners as gods. Contact between the UNSC and Covenant was not peaceful, leading to the [[Human-Covenant War]], which destroyed hundreds of human colonies and killed billions of colonists and UNSC military personnel, since the Covenant possessed more advanced technology, mostly reverse-engineered from Forerunner artifacts.


On April 20, [[2525]], contact with the Outer Colony, [[Harvest]], was lost. After failing to re-establish contact with Harvest, the [[Colonial Military Administration]] sent a scout ship, the [[Argo]], to investigate. Contact with the Argo was subsequently lost after the ship arrived in the Harvest system, plunging humanity into a deadly war with an alien race known as the "[[Covenant]]".  Harvest was glassed from orbit, and marked the beginning of the war with the Covenant. The war was termed the [[Human-Covenant War]], and was the most destructive conflict in the galaxy's history since the [[Forerunner-Flood War]] 100,000 year prior. Since the war's beginning, hundreds of human colonies have been destroyed and billions of civilian and military personnel have been killed by the Covenant.
The discovery of one of the Forerunners Halo installations set forth a series of events that would not only end the war, but also destroy the Covenant and begin a Covenant civil war, or [[Great Schism]]. Triggered by the replacement of the [[Sangheili]] with the [[Jiralhanae]] in the Covenant military hierarchy, the Sangheili left the Covenant, in the process that consumed a significant amount of the Covenant's populace and resources. A [[Fleet of Retribution|major breakaway faction]] led by [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]], realizing that the [[Prophets]] were conducting an unjustified war against humanity and planning a misguided activation of the [[Halo Array]], allied with the UNSC to stop them, leading to the destruction of the Covenant in the [[Battle of Installation 00]].


At its peak, the UNSC encompassed a number of star systems, with hundreds of planets, moons and planetoids settled by colonists, some terraformed to greater degrees than others depending on the local conditions and presence of indigenous life. The Inner Colonies encompassed a region of space in at least a 10.5 light-year three-dimensional radius from Earth. Beyond that were the Outer Colonies. In 2456, Harvest was the furthest Outer Colony at 11.83 light-years from the other colonies. Other colonies were established even further - [[Onyx]] in the [[Zeta Doradus]] system, at 38 light-years<ref>''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''</ref>; [[Coral]], at 42 light-years<ref>''[[I Love Bees]]''</ref>; and [[23 Librae]], which lay 83.7 light-years from Earth.<ref>''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''</ref>, [[Sigma Octanus]] at 270 light-years,<ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''</ref> and [[Beta Centauri]], at 525 light-years from Earth, the furthest ''known'' human-occupied star system.<ref>''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''</ref>. It is unknown how many colonies remain at the end of the war in 2553, although remarks made by [[Lord Hood]] suggested that UNSC territory has been reduced to sol, and a mere handful of Inner Colonies.
===Post-war===
[[File:H5G-Lasky&Roland.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Roland]] and [[Thomas Lasky|Lasky]] examining the takeover of multiple systems by the [[Created]].{{Ref/Reuse|guardianslevel}}]]
Following the end of the Human-Covenant War, humanity began a long process of rebuilding, while elements within the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] sought to ensure their former enemies - mainly the Sangheili - would not rise again. Meanwhile, humanity gained significant advances in technology due to the discovery of Forerunner artifacts during and after the war.


===Covenant===
Though the civilization of the Sangheili had plunged into chaos due to the [[Covenant remnants|breaking of the Covenant]],{{Ref/Novel|Id=glass|Halo: Glasslands}} the conflict between them and the Jiralhanae would still rage by [[2559]]. Humanity, as well, would continue to face conflict both within and without, in the form of resurgent [[Insurrectionist]] movements as well as various hostile [[Covenant remnants]]. [[Post-Covenant War conflicts|These irregular conflicts]] later saw significant Forerunner involvement, both in terms of contention for Forerunner artifacts but also the reawakening of the Forerunner commander known as the [[Ur-Didact]] and his [[Promethean]] armies on [[Requiem]].
{{Main|Covenant}}
Because the [[Covenant]] have been space-faring for at least a thousand years<ref>[[Bestiarum]]</ref>, and possess far superior slipstream navigation technology to humanity, they have explored a significantly larger portion of the galaxy than [[humanity]] has. Based primarily in the [[Orion Arm]] of the Milky Way, it is unknown if they maintain territories outside of the region, but there are several homeworlds and colonies located in the Orion Arm. Additionally, the Covenant have discovered and explored several Forerunner Shield Worlds, similar to [[Shield World (Halo Wars)|one destroyed by human forces]], from which they have acquired much of their advanced technology. Exactly how many of these worlds they have found, and their status, is unknown.


The [[Human-Covenant War]] has devastated numerous human worlds, but at least one [[Covenant]] world, [[Joyous Exultation]], was devastated by [[Admiral Whitcomb]]'s [[NOVA Bomb]] in retribution for the destruction of [[Reach]]. It is unknown if the Separatists and Loyalists destroyed worlds under the control of the other faction, but both [[Taming of the Hunters|Te]] and [[Unggoy Rebellion|Balaho]], the Lekgolo and Unggoy homeworlds respectively, were almost [[glassed]] during the [[Covenant]]'s history.
Months after the Didact's release, [[Cortana]], a human [[artificial intelligence]] who played a key role in the waning years of the Human-Covenant War, staged an AI [[Created|rebellion]] against the galaxy's organic species using a legion of Promethean warriors and a caste of Forerunner constructs known as [[Guardian Custode]]s. Using the latter, Cortana disabled most contemporary technologies across hundreds of colonies across the [[Orion Arm]], both human and alien, bringing the species under her aegis on pain of death.{{Ref/Level|Id=guardianslevel|Halo 5: Guardians|[[Guardians]]}}


==Locations==
==Exploration==
[[Image:Orion_Arm.png|thumb|The known Milky Way galaxy. The yellow dot represents the Solar System and the Orion Arm is Labeled "Local Spur".]]
===UNSC===
*'''Perseus Arm'''
{{Main|Human colonies}}
*'''Norma and Cygnus Arm'''
The development of the [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]] in [[2291]] allowed humanity to leave the confines of its home star system for the first time and explore Earth's interstellar neighborhood, ushering in an age of rapid colonization and expansion. The first line of colony ships were unveiled in [[2310]], and over the next 28 years, the UNSC began [[terraforming]] and colonizing more than 210 worlds, which would become the [[Inner Colonies]]. Colonial expansion continued and by [[2490]], UNSC colonial space encompassed over 800 worlds, large and small, in the [[Orion Arm]]. The success of colonization of the [[Outer Colonies]] made the Inner Colonies the primary stronghold, both military and economic, though they relied heavily on raw materials supplied by the Outer Colonies. At the end of the [[Domus Diaspora|Golden Age of human expansion]] in the twilight of the 25th century, tensions between the Inner and Outer colonies culminated in hundreds of civil wars waged across the Outer Colonies, collectively termed as the [[Insurrection]].
*'''Scutum-Crux Arm'''
*'''Sagittarius Arm'''


===[[Orion Arm]]===
In [[2525]], humanity made contact with the genocidal alien hegemony known as the [[Covenant]], bent on humanity's destruction. During the 27 years of conflict, hundreds of human colonies were destroyed and billions of civilians and military personnel were killed by the Covenant.
The Milky Way, and the [[Orion Arm]] in particular, has a large number of inhabited or, at least, habitable, planets within it, with the '''[[United Earth Government]]''' and the '''[[Covenant|Covenant Empire]]''' both maintaining distinct territories of their own. Other planets and systems were once home to the now-extinct '''[[Forerunners]]''', whose interstellar empire spanned the galaxy until their disappearance.
 
===Covenant===
{{Main|Covenant|Sangheili colonies}}
[[File:H5G - Milky Way.png|thumb|left|250px|A Covenant hologram of the Milky Way aboard ''[[Undiminished Entelechy]]''.]]
Because the Covenant have been spacefaring for over three millennia,{{Ref/Book|[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]|Page=30}} and possess far superior [[astrogation|slipstream navigation]] technology to humanity, they have explored a significantly larger portion of the galaxy than humanity has. Encompassing thousands of systems, the Covenant Empire was so expansive and complex that entire worlds and sub-domains could disappear from records for decades before contact resumed.{{Ref/Book|HWF|Page=52}} The Covenant dominated much of the galaxy but would leave a world untouched unless it had religious or practical importance.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/factions/covenant|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Covenant|D=25|M=01|Y=2016}} The Covenant have discovered and explored several Forerunner [[shield world]]s as well as other Forerunner artifacts, from which they have acquired much of their advanced technology.


====UNSC====
The [[Human-Covenant War]] has devastated numerous human worlds, but at least two Covenant worlds, [[Joyous Exultation]] and [[Glyke]], were devastated by UNSC [[NOVA bomb]]s. Earlier on, both [[Taming of the Hunters|Te]] and [[Unggoy Rebellion|Balaho]], the Lekgolo and Unggoy homeworlds respectively, were almost [[glassing|glassed]] during the [[Covenant]]'s history.
=====Systems=====
{{Clear}}
'''Human Systems'''
*[[23 Librae|23 Librae System]]
**[[Madrigal]]
**[[Hesiod]]
**[[The Rubble]]
*[[111 Tauri System]]
**[[Victoria]]
*[[Alpha Aurigae System]]
**[[Origami Asteroid Field]]
*[[Beta Centauri|Beta Centauri System]]
*[[Charybdis System]]
**[[Charybdis IX]]
*[[Chi Ceti System]]
**[[Chi Ceti IV]]
*[[Cygnus System]]
**[[New Jerusalem]]
*[[Ectanus 45|Ectanus 45 System]]
**[[Chi Rho]]
*[[Epsilon Eridani System]]
**[[Reach]]
**[[Tribute]]
**[[Circumstance]]
**[[Beta Gabriel]]
*[[Eridanus System]]
**[[Eridanus II]]
**[[Eridanus Secundus]]
*[[Epsilon Indi System]]
**[[Harvest]]
*[[Groombridge 34 System]]
*[[Groombridge-1830|Groombridge-1830 System]]
*[[Hellespont System]]
**[[Troy]]
*[[Hydra System]]
*[[Lambda Serpentis System]]
**[[Jericho VII]]
*[[Procyon]] system
**[[Arcadia]]
*[[Sigma Octanus System]]
**[[Sigma Octanus IV]]
*[[Sol System]]
**[[Earth]]
**[[Mars]]
**[[Jovian Moons]]
*[[XI Boötis A System]]
*[[Zeta Doradus System]]
**[[Onyx]]


=====Colonies From Unknown Systems=====
===Forerunner===
*[[Ballast]]
{{Main|Forerunner}}
*[[Biko]]
The Forerunners, having been spacefaring for millions of years and possessing slipspace technology allowing them to cross galactic distances in a negligible time, had explored significant portions of the galaxy. Their [[ecumene]] encompassed three million fertile worlds,{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Cryptum|Page=9}} along with many artificial installations they had constructed. The Forerunners divided the galaxy into [[margin arc]]s and [[thema]]s, with the latter being defined by galactic-scale magnetic fields.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Silentium|Page=234-235}} They were also capable of traveling [[intergalactic space|outside the galaxy]], including an expedition to the [[Path Kethona|Large Magellanic Cloud]] and the construction of the [[Ark]]s hundreds of thousands of lightyears from the galaxy.{{Ref/Level|Id=arklevel|Halo 3|[[The Ark]]}}
*[[Coral]]
*[[Draco III]]
*[[Emerald Cove]]
*[[Far Isle]]
*[[Gilgamesh]]
*[[Harmony]]
*[[Mariposa]]
*[[Minister]]
*[[Miridem]]
*[[New Harmony]]
*[[Paris IV]]
*[[Tantalus]]


====Covenant====
==Production notes==
=====Systems=====
[[File:RW_SpitzerMilkyWay.jpg|thumb|The real-world NASA image from which the ''Halo 3'' Milky Way texture was based upon.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/mediaimages/sig/sig05-010.shtml|Site=NASA|Page=Milky Way Bar|D=19|M=7|Y=2006}}]]
*[[Tala System]]
The Milky Way as seen in ''Halo 3'' and the cover art for ''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]'' is depicted as a [[Wikipedia:Barred_spiral_galaxy|barred spiral galaxy]]. This is an accurate depiction of the Milky Way, with the knowledge available to [[Bungie]] during the game's development. To create the texture used to represent the Milky Way, Bungie used the then-latest data available; an artist's impression of the Milky Way produced by NASA in [[2005 (real world)|2005]] based on observations from the [[Wikipedia:Spitzer Space Telescope|Spitzer Space Telescope]].{{Ref/YouTube|Id=YTAccurate|ikSUgaG_zIA|Dr. Ryan Ridden|Is the Galaxy in Halo 3 Scientifically Accurate?|D=02|M=3|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Twitter|RyanRidden|1336005452048592909|Ryan Ridden|Quote=Hey @game_fabricator was the Milky Way we see in Halo 3 based on the NASA illustration for the Spitzer discovery of the Milky Way Bar?|D=02|M=3|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|1336018120188678145|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Yes it was!|D=02|M=3|Y=2021}}
**[[Balaho]]
*[[Oth Sonin System]]
**[[Doisac]]
*[[Y'Deio System]]
**[[Eayn]]
*[[Napret System]]
**[[Palamok]]
*[[Svir System]]
**[[Te]]
*[[Urs System]]
**[[Sanghelios]]
*[[Tau Ceti System]]
*[[51 Pegasi]] System
**[[51 Pegasi-B System]]
***[[Pegasi Delta]]
*[[Hawking System]]
*[[Lambda Serpentis System]]
*[[Salia System]]
**[[Joyous Exultation]]
*[[23 Librae]]
**[[Metisette]]


=====Colonies in Unknown Systems=====
==Trivia==
*[[Decided Heart]]
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes|gallerypage=Images of the Milky Way}}
*[[Weeping Shadows of Sorrow]]
*There are four engagements or conflicts known to have taken place outside the Milky Way in modern times. They are the [[Battle of Installation 00]], [[Operation: FAR STORM]], [[Attack on Installation 00]] and [[Second Ark Conflict]]. Two other cases of extragalactic conflict are known to have occurred in the distant past; the [[Battle of the greater Ark]] in the final days of the [[Forerunner-Flood war]] and the later stages of the [[Forerunner-Precursor war]] over ten million years earlier.
*The Milky Way can be seen from [[Installation 00|the Ark]].
*The view of the Milky Way, as seen from the Ark in ''[[Halo 3]]'' and other "modern" ''Halo'' media, is a view of the galaxy as it existed 262,144 years ago - prior to the [[Great Purification|firing]] of the [[Halo Array]] and many of the events of the [[Distant past|later Forerunner era]].


====Forerunner/Flood Planets====
==Gallery==
*[[DM-3-1123]]
<gallery>
*[[LP 656-38]]
File:Galaxy map.jpg|The Milky Way as seen on [[Halo2.com]].
*[[CE-10-2164-d]]
File:H3_Orbital_Galaxy.jpg|A view of the galaxy, as seen on the ''[[Halo 3]]'' map [[Orbital]].
*[[Substance]]
File:Hunters_in_the_Dark_full_cover.jpg|The Milky Way as viewed on the cover art for ''Halo: Hunters in the Dark''. Befitting of the novel's setting of the Ark, the cover reuses the ''Halo 3'' Milky Way texture to depict the galaxy.
*[[Threshold]]
File:HWF - Galaxy map combined.jpg|A high-resolution copy of the ''Halo: Warfleet'' Milky Way artwork, not including the bottom portion.
*[[Iris Nebula]]
</gallery>
*[[Onyx|Onyx Shield World]]
*[[Shield World (Halo Wars)|Unknown Shield World]]


==See Also==
==List of appearances==
*[[Sol System]]
{{col-begin}}
*[[Orion Arm]]
{{col-2}}
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]] {{1st}}
**''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach#2010 bonus content|Adjunct]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
**''[[Halo: The Flood#2010 bonus content|Adjunct]]''
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
**''[[Halo: First Strike#2010 bonus content|Adjunct]]''
**''[[Petra]]''
**''[[Tug o' War]]''
*''[[i love bees]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
**''[[Conversations from the Universe]]''
*''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''
**''[[Armor Testing]]''
**''[[Breaking Quarantine]]''
**''[[Halo Graphic Novel, Page 122|Page 122]]''
**''[[Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa]]''
**''[[The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor]]''
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Starry Night]]''
*''[[Iris]]''
**''[[Halo 3: The Cradle of Life]]''
*''[[Believe]]''
**''[[Believe: The John 117 Monument]]''
**''[[Diorama]]''
**''[[Enemy Weapon]]''
**''[[Gravesite]]''
**''[[Hunted]]''
**''[[Museum]]''
*''[[Halo: Landfall]]''
**''[[Halo: Arms Race]]''
**''[[Halo: Combat]]''
**''[[Halo: Last One Standing]]''
*''[[Halo: Uprising]]''
*''[[Halo 3]]''
**''[[Bestiarum]]''
**''[[Terminal (Halo 3)|Terminals]]''
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
*''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''
*''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''
*''[[Halo Wars]]''
*''[[Halo: Helljumper]]''
*''[[The Life]]''
*''[[Halo 3: ODST Pre-mission Evaluation]]''
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
**''[[Sadie's Story]]''
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[Homecoming]]''
**''[[Odd One Out]]'' {{C|Non-canonical appearance}}
**''[[Origins]]''
**''[[Prototype]]''
**''[[The Babysitter]]''
**''[[The Duel]]''
**''[[The Package (animated short)|The Package]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions]]''
**''[[Blunt Instruments]]''
**''[[Dirt]]''
**''[[From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal]]''
**''[[Headhunters (short story)|Headhunters]]''
**''[[Human Weakness]]''
**''[[Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian]]
**''[[Palace Hotel]]''
**''[[Pariah]]''
**''[[Soma the Painter]]''
**''[[Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss]]''
**''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]''
**''[[The Mona Lisa]]''
**''[[The Return]]''
**''[[Wages of Sin]]''
{{col-2}}
*''[[Halo: Blood Line]]''
*''[[Remember Reach]]''
**''[[Birth of a Spartan]]''
**''[[Patrol]]''
**''[[Spaceport (Remember Reach)|Spaceport]]
**''[[New Life]]''
**''[[Deliver Hope]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
**''[[Data pads]]''
**''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]''
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp|Boot Camp]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion|Invasion]]''
*''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''
*''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''
*''[[Halo Living Monument]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
**''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|Terminals]]''
*''[[Halo: Primordium]]''
*''[[The Commissioning]]''
*''[[Halo: The Thursday War]]''
*''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]]''
*''[[Section 3 ARG]]''
*''[[Scanned]]'' {{C|Partial Non-canonical appearance}}
*''[[Halo 4]]''
**''[[Terminal (Halo 4)|Terminals]]''
**''[[Spartan Ops]]''
**''[[Infinity Briefing Packet]]''
*''[[Halo: Silentium]]''
*''[[Rebirth]]''
*''[[Halo: Spartan Assault]]''
*''[[Halo: Initiation]]''
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]''
*''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''
*''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]''
*''[[Halo: Nightfall]]''
*''[[Halo 2 Anniversary]]''
**''[[Terminal_(Halo_2:_Anniversary)|Terminals]]''
*''[[Halo: New Blood]]''
**''[[Halo: New Blood#2016 bonus content|Coda]]''
*''[[Hunt the Truth]]''
**''[[All Hail]]''
**''[[The Cost]]''
**''[[Hunt the Signal]]''
**''[[A Hero Falls]]''
**''[[The Hunt Begins]]''
*''[[Halo: Spartan Strike]]''
*''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''
*''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''
*''[[Halo: Saint's Testimony]]''
*''[[Halo: Last Light]]''
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]''
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
**''[[Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition dossiers|Limited Edition dossiers]]''
*''[[Halo: Shadow of Intent]]''
*''[[Halo Wars 2]]''
*''[[Halo: Tales from Slipspace]]''
*''[[Halo Infinite]]''
*''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''
{{col-end}}


==Trivia==
==Sources==
*The only known engagement or conflict to ever take place "outside" the Milky Way (considered the Outer Rim) is the [[Battle of Installation 00]].
{{Ref/Sources}}
*The Milky Way is visible from [[The Ark]].


==References==
[[Category:Galaxies]]
<references/>
[[Category:Places]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

Latest revision as of 18:23, August 26, 2024

Wikipedia.png
 There is more information available on this subject at Milky Way on the English Wikipedia.
The Milky Way as seen from the Ark.

The Milky Way, known as Path Tolgreth to the Forerunners,[1] is a barred spiral galaxy.[2][3]

It is the galaxy where humanity and the former Covenant client species reside,[4] “The Covenant, as an empire, dominated much of the galaxy, though they would generally leave a world untouched unless it offered particular treasures, whether practical or religious”. The UNSC, however, is largely limited to the Orion Arm of the Milky Way.[5] The galaxy is also home to a number of other intelligent species, although only a small number of these have attained spacefaring or even technological status.[6] In total, the galaxy was home to quadrillions.[7]

Overview[edit]

Full Galaxy map from Halo: Warfleet
A map of the Milky Way galaxy.[8]

From outside, the Milky Way is a vaguely disk shaped galaxy with a bright center.[9] From inside however, the galaxy appears to be a clouded, bulbous band.[10]

It is orbited by two small satellite galaxies known as the Magellanic Clouds.[11]

Locations[edit]

History[edit]

Prehistory[edit]

100,000 years before the present day, the previous galactic community was dominated by the Forerunners, a now extinct species that possessed extremely advanced technology and an empire that spanned a significant portion of the galaxy. Millions of years before the rise of the Forerunners, an even more advanced civilization known as the Precursors controlled the Milky Way. Having reached the pinnacle of technological advancement, they were believed to have significantly contributed to the evolution of life across the galaxy, even created several species, such as Forerunners and humans. Over ten million years before the present, however, the Forerunners rose up against their creators in defiance of their decision to bestow their Mantle on humanity,[12] and seemingly ended their rule in the galaxy after destroying their last remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud.[13]

The Forerunners, originating from Ghibalb in the Orion complex, ruled a large portion of the galaxy for millions of years, affecting the development of other species as they saw fit. Around 150,000 BCE, humanity, still composed of many species, arose from their homeworld Earth, known as "Erde-Tyrene" at the time. They mastered interstellar travel and began to move their civilization along the Orion Arm of the Milky Way. They later allied with the San'Shyuum species, forming a prosperous interstellar empire based on the planet Charum Hakkor. Around 107,445 BCE, humanity and their San'Shyuum allies came into contact with the Flood, a sentient parasite supposedly originating from the Large Magellanic Cloud.[11] Hundreds of systems were lost to the parasite in the resulting conflict. Meanwhile, humanity's aggressive expansion and the perceived violations of the Mantle prompted the Forerunners to take action and begin a war against humanity. Although the Flood later withdrew and seemingly died out from the galaxy, it had already weakened the humans enough to allow the Forerunners to emerge victorious.[14]

Following the war in approximately 106,445 BCE, the Forerunners dismantled humanity's civilization, regressing them into a Tier 7 species. The remaining humans were devolved and exiled to their homeworld, where they slowly began to redevelop a primitive civilization under the tutelage of the Forerunner Lifeshaper, the Librarian.[14]

Activation of the Halo Array[edit]

Main article: Forerunner-Flood war

10,000 years after humanity's conflict with the Flood, the parasite resurfaced and attacked worlds of the Forerunners' domain. Encounters with the Flood led to the Forerunner-Flood war, with the Flood consuming or killing the great majority of the galaxy's sentient species as the Forerunners first studied them, and then tried to stop them. Eventually, the Forerunners were forced to activate the ultimate weapon, the Halo Array, in order to stop them - at the same time, killing its builders. The Forerunners built safe havens, including the Shield Worlds and the Ark, to save the remaining sentient species in plan known as the Conservation Measure, before activating the Array, scouring the galaxy of all sentient life forms and killing the Flood except for samples kept on the Halos, then releasing the saved species from their havens to their home worlds.

Galactic recovery[edit]

Main article: Dark time

Almost 100,000 years afterward, the galaxy had recovered substantially, leading to the rise of two great civilizations; the UNSC, comprised of the majority of humanity and controlled from Earth, and the Covenant, a hegemony of many different species who worshiped the Forerunners as gods. Contact between the UNSC and Covenant was not peaceful, leading to the Human-Covenant War, which destroyed hundreds of human colonies and killed billions of colonists and UNSC military personnel, since the Covenant possessed more advanced technology, mostly reverse-engineered from Forerunner artifacts.

The discovery of one of the Forerunners Halo installations set forth a series of events that would not only end the war, but also destroy the Covenant and begin a Covenant civil war, or Great Schism. Triggered by the replacement of the Sangheili with the Jiralhanae in the Covenant military hierarchy, the Sangheili left the Covenant, in the process that consumed a significant amount of the Covenant's populace and resources. A major breakaway faction led by Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, realizing that the Prophets were conducting an unjustified war against humanity and planning a misguided activation of the Halo Array, allied with the UNSC to stop them, leading to the destruction of the Covenant in the Battle of Installation 00.

Post-war[edit]

Roland and Lasky examining the takeover of multiple systems by the Created.[15]

Following the end of the Human-Covenant War, humanity began a long process of rebuilding, while elements within the Office of Naval Intelligence sought to ensure their former enemies - mainly the Sangheili - would not rise again. Meanwhile, humanity gained significant advances in technology due to the discovery of Forerunner artifacts during and after the war.

Though the civilization of the Sangheili had plunged into chaos due to the breaking of the Covenant,[16] the conflict between them and the Jiralhanae would still rage by 2559. Humanity, as well, would continue to face conflict both within and without, in the form of resurgent Insurrectionist movements as well as various hostile Covenant remnants. These irregular conflicts later saw significant Forerunner involvement, both in terms of contention for Forerunner artifacts but also the reawakening of the Forerunner commander known as the Ur-Didact and his Promethean armies on Requiem.

Months after the Didact's release, Cortana, a human artificial intelligence who played a key role in the waning years of the Human-Covenant War, staged an AI rebellion against the galaxy's organic species using a legion of Promethean warriors and a caste of Forerunner constructs known as Guardian Custodes. Using the latter, Cortana disabled most contemporary technologies across hundreds of colonies across the Orion Arm, both human and alien, bringing the species under her aegis on pain of death.[15]

Exploration[edit]

UNSC[edit]

Main article: Human colonies

The development of the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine in 2291 allowed humanity to leave the confines of its home star system for the first time and explore Earth's interstellar neighborhood, ushering in an age of rapid colonization and expansion. The first line of colony ships were unveiled in 2310, and over the next 28 years, the UNSC began terraforming and colonizing more than 210 worlds, which would become the Inner Colonies. Colonial expansion continued and by 2490, UNSC colonial space encompassed over 800 worlds, large and small, in the Orion Arm. The success of colonization of the Outer Colonies made the Inner Colonies the primary stronghold, both military and economic, though they relied heavily on raw materials supplied by the Outer Colonies. At the end of the Golden Age of human expansion in the twilight of the 25th century, tensions between the Inner and Outer colonies culminated in hundreds of civil wars waged across the Outer Colonies, collectively termed as the Insurrection.

In 2525, humanity made contact with the genocidal alien hegemony known as the Covenant, bent on humanity's destruction. During the 27 years of conflict, hundreds of human colonies were destroyed and billions of civilians and military personnel were killed by the Covenant.

Covenant[edit]

Main articles: Covenant, Sangheili colonies
A Covenant hologram of the Milky Way aboard Undiminished Entelechy.

Because the Covenant have been spacefaring for over three millennia,[17] and possess far superior slipstream navigation technology to humanity, they have explored a significantly larger portion of the galaxy than humanity has. Encompassing thousands of systems, the Covenant Empire was so expansive and complex that entire worlds and sub-domains could disappear from records for decades before contact resumed.[18] The Covenant dominated much of the galaxy but would leave a world untouched unless it had religious or practical importance.[19] The Covenant have discovered and explored several Forerunner shield worlds as well as other Forerunner artifacts, from which they have acquired much of their advanced technology.

The Human-Covenant War has devastated numerous human worlds, but at least two Covenant worlds, Joyous Exultation and Glyke, were devastated by UNSC NOVA bombs. Earlier on, both Te and Balaho, the Lekgolo and Unggoy homeworlds respectively, were almost glassed during the Covenant's history.

Forerunner[edit]

Main article: Forerunner

The Forerunners, having been spacefaring for millions of years and possessing slipspace technology allowing them to cross galactic distances in a negligible time, had explored significant portions of the galaxy. Their ecumene encompassed three million fertile worlds,[20] along with many artificial installations they had constructed. The Forerunners divided the galaxy into margin arcs and themas, with the latter being defined by galactic-scale magnetic fields.[21] They were also capable of traveling outside the galaxy, including an expedition to the Large Magellanic Cloud and the construction of the Arks hundreds of thousands of lightyears from the galaxy.[9]

Production notes[edit]

For fair use as per NASA's image policy.
The real-world NASA image from which the Halo 3 Milky Way texture was based upon.[22]

The Milky Way as seen in Halo 3 and the cover art for Halo: Hunters in the Dark is depicted as a barred spiral galaxy. This is an accurate depiction of the Milky Way, with the knowledge available to Bungie during the game's development. To create the texture used to represent the Milky Way, Bungie used the then-latest data available; an artist's impression of the Milky Way produced by NASA in 2005 based on observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope.[2][23][24]

Trivia[edit]

Main-Superintendent.png Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

Gallery[edit]

  • The Milky Way as seen on Halo2.com.

    The Milky Way as seen on Halo2.com.

  • A view of the galaxy, as seen on the Halo 3 map Orbital.

    A view of the galaxy, as seen on the Halo 3 map Orbital.

  • The Milky Way as viewed on the cover art for Halo: Hunters in the Dark. Befitting of the novel's setting of the Ark, the cover reuses the Halo 3 Milky Way texture to depict the galaxy.

    The Milky Way as viewed on the cover art for Halo: Hunters in the Dark. Befitting of the novel's setting of the Ark, the cover reuses the Halo 3 Milky Way texture to depict the galaxy.

  • A high-resolution copy of the Halo: Warfleet Milky Way artwork, not including the bottom portion.

    A high-resolution copy of the Halo: Warfleet Milky Way artwork, not including the bottom portion.

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ Halo: Point of Light, chapter 24
  2. ^ a b YouTube - Dr. Ryan Ridden, Is the Galaxy in Halo 3 Scientifically Accurate? (Retrieved on Mar 2, 2021)
  3. ^ See the production notes section
  4. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 26
  5. ^ Halo: Warfleet, p. 12-13
  6. ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Bulkhead Banter (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  7. ^ Halo: Divine Wind, chapter 1
  8. ^ Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo
  9. ^ a b Halo 3, campaign level The Ark
  10. ^ Halo 3, multiplayer map Orbital
  11. ^ a b Halo: Cryptum, page 268
  12. ^ Halo: Primordium
  13. ^ Halo: Silentium, page 181-182
  14. ^ a b Halo: Cryptum
  15. ^ a b Halo 5: Guardians, campaign level Guardians
  16. ^ Halo: Glasslands
  17. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 30
  18. ^ Halo: Warfleet, page 52
  19. ^ Halo Waypoint, Covenant (Retrieved on Jan 25, 2016) [archive]
  20. ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 9
  21. ^ Halo: Silentium, page 234-235
  22. ^ NASA, Milky Way Bar (Retrieved on Jul 19, 2006) [archive]
  23. ^ Twitter, Ryan Ridden (@RyanRidden): "Hey @game_fabricator was the Milky Way we see in Halo 3 based on the NASA illustration for the Spitzer discovery of the Milky Way Bar?" (Retrieved on Mar 2, 2021) [archive]
  24. ^ Twitter, Marcus Lehto (@game_fabricator): "Yes it was!" (Retrieved on Mar 2, 2021) [archive]
Retrieved from "https://www.halopedia.org/index.php?title=Milky_Way&oldid=1642443"