Hyacinth ε was a mining colony contracted out by the Commonwealth to excavate materials detected on the planet in the mid-2400s. In 2551, the colony came under attack by the Covenant, glassing the only human settlement, Ny-Århus. Reportedly killing all colonists as well as the entire UNSC Army garrison stationed there. In 2554, recolonization efforts went into effect but reignited conflict between humanity and the Covenant leading to the Skirmish of Hyacinth ε. Following the end of the skirmish, the human population of Hyacinth ε reached 4,500 by 2555.