Genesis is barely larger than Earth, with a diameter less than one percent greater and a gravitational attraction at the surface only one percent higher. Land covers 21 percent of its surface. The bulk of it is divided into four continents: Harvestland, Virginis, Barrenland, and Maiden Spring. Three continents have less area than Earth’s average continent, but one, Harvestland, has more surface than Earth’s Eurasian land mass. The continents take a more closed form than continents on Earth and are separated by larger expanses of open ocean.
Genesis orbits 59 Virgo once every 347 days in nearly circular orbit. Its day clocks just over 12 hours, the shortest among the present colonies.
Genesis is believed to be much younger than the Earth, perhaps by as much as 1.5 billion years. The planet appears to contain more residual heat than Earth and exhibits much greater volcanic activity. Flying over the surface, one rarely loses sight of active volcanoes.