Nabatu is a barren and arid realm. Relatively little is known about it, contrary to what can be expected of a planet in the Coruscant system. The intense temperatures and dangerous creatures living in the many wastelands make surveying this desolate world a challenge. Throughout the millennia, the celestial orb has received several different and often erroneous classifications. Nabatu consists mainly of two enormous deserts covering most of the surface. These two deserts are separated by a range of volcanoes that span the entire globe. In initial reports, it was mistakenly labelled as having a toxic atmosphere, an idea that surfaced when a small crew of Coruscanti colonists visited the planet. They never actually set foot on the surface, as the presence of the volcanic gases made it impossible for humans to breathe. Thus, the colonists wrongly concluded that the entire planet's atmosphere was poisonous. It took another hundred years before scientists finally corrected this mistake when they discovered single-celled, oxygen-reliant organisms near the poles and reclassified Nabatu as breathable. Through the years, several more evolved, and deadly, species would be found.

Abnormally large flows of magma in the mantle are considered by most to be the main cause of these harsh conditions. The planetary crust is covered in a thin layer of sand. Although some regions are an exception and feature bare rock, many classify Nabatu as a desert world. The only relief from the blinding, sandy landscape and the various rock formations are the impact craters that dot the surface. Although the living conditions on the planet are not optimal due to the drought, heat, and violent wildlife, they have attracted private research firms that have built scientific outposts on Nabatu to study the effects of the many volcanoes on the local fauna and environment. Few have made this world their permanent home, however, as prolonged exposure to the unpredictable climate takes a heavy toll on most species.

The severe heat and constant volcanic eruptions have forced research crews to erect their outposts at extreme distances from the volcanic regions of Nabatu to prevent damage to their structures due to the vast amounts of lava and molten rock that get launched out of the volcanoes during the frequent eruptions. Although the vast deserts provide a more stable environment, the settlements still suffer from wear and tear caused by sandstorms and require regular maintenance. Those more daring have set up colonies at the edge of the volcanic range for easier data collection, albeit at the risk of suffering permanent damage to their life support systems, effectively killing off the entirety of the crew by poisonous gas, extreme heat, or being crushed by falling rocks. For this reason, all science and research crews that arrive planetside are accompanied by some of the best-trained engineering teams to conduct routine repairs. Most outposts are stocked with survival gear should the personnel be required to evacuate.