QY-Devonias

QY-Devonias-IIId is the third moon of its parent planet, and is the only known location of natural formamide-based life. Formamide as an isolated compound is exceptionally well suited to act as a solvent for life, even better than water, but the conditions needed for it to form in places where it could support life are exceptional.

The geology of QY-Devonias-IIId supports shallow lakes of formamide in its lower southern hemisphere that simmer amongst tall crags of radioactive uranium and zircon. Under the influence of the heat these minerals give off, deposited water and hydrogen cyanide react to produce formamide. During the day, temperatures rise high enough to boil away the water, leaving behind formamide. Over time, this process has produced enough formamide to form vast lakes of the substance within crags of the moon’s terrain.