Athtars

Athtar is a fictional planet featured in the science fiction novel "The Mote in God's Eye" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It is the homeworld of the Moties, an alien species with a complex and challenging evolutionary history. The planet itself is described as having a highly variable climate and a difficult environment that has shaped the Moties' biological and social development. Key features of Athtar include its unusual geological formations and the presence of specific atmospheric conditions that are crucial to Motie biology. The novel details how the harshness of Athtar has driven the Moties' extraordinary reproductive rate and their intense focus on survival and expansion. The planet's environment is a significant factor in the plot, influencing the interactions between the Moties and the human explorers who discover them. Understanding Athtar is fundamental to comprehending the motivations and capabilities of the Motie civilization.