Viperidae

Viperidae was a gas giant in the Psi Serpentis system. Red in color, the planet's tightly compressed atmosphere consisted of helium and hydrogen. Its mass was thirteen times that of Jupiter. Viperidae's gravity was nearly able to crush and fuse the hydrogen in its atmosphere.

History
Viperidae was the location of Admiral Preston Cole's "Last Stand." Battlegroup India engaged a massive Covenant armada in orbit. The planet was destroyed by the one hundred Shiva-class nuclear missiles Cole launched onto its surface, igniting the super-pressurized hydrogen in its atmosphere and briefly turning the gas giant into a brown dwarf. The nuclear blast that followed obliterated the entire Covenant fleet, well over 300 ships, and led to the presumed death of Preston Cole.

Trivia
The Viperidae, or the vipers, are a family of venomous snakes found throughout the world.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole