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Planetary System
(Our Solar
System)
MERCURY
In William Shatner's novel
Captain's Glory,
Mercury is home to a research facility, stated to be one of the oldest
outposts in the Sol System.
VENUS
Venus
(or Sol II) is the
second
planet in the
Sol system.
Venus is considered a
Class N
Planet.
Hugh Campbell
wrote a story called "Venusian
Chronicles" for the
January
1953 issue of
Incredible Tales
magazine. (DS9:
"Far
Beyond the Stars")
Venus was seen on a map depicting
the
Sol system
watched by
Nomad. (TOS:
"The
Changeling")
In
2364, when the
USS Enterprise-D
crew was
infected with
poly-water intoxication,
an
officer serving
in the
shuttlebay
delivered an inappropriate
limerick over
the comm to other crewmembers involving a woman and Venus. Hearing
this,
Lieutenant Commander
Data began to
repeat the limerick, but was cut off by
Captain
Picard before
completing it. (TNG:
"The
Naked Now")
In the
24th century,
Venus had a number of
terraforming
stations on its
surface. (DS9:
"Past
Tense, Part I")
In an
alternate timeline,
Miles O'Brien,
while still in the
24th century,
noted that the terraforming stations on Venus were
gone,
following the creation of an alternate timeline created when
Benjamin Sisko,
Jadzia Dax and
Julian Bashir
disrupted
history after
transporting to
the
21st century.
During his early career,
Chakotay spent
a couple of
months on Venus
to learn how to
pilot a
vessel in
atmospheric storms. (VOY:
"Future's
End, Part II")
Classified as a
terrestrial planet,
it is sometimes called Earth's "sister planet", for the two are similar
in size, gravity, and bulk composition. Venus is covered with an opaque
layer of highly reflective
clouds of
sulfuric acid,
preventing its surface from being seen from space in
visible light;
this was a subject of great speculation until some of its secrets were
revealed by
planetary science
in the twentieth century. Venus has the densest
atmosphere of all
the terrestrial planets, consisting mostly of
carbon dioxide,
as it has no
carbon cycle to
lock carbon back into rocks and surface features, nor organic life to
absorb it in biomass. It has become so hot that the earth-like oceans
the young Venus is believed to have possessed have totally evaporated,
leaving a dusty dry desert scape with many slab-like rocks. The
evaporated water vapor has dissociated and hydrogen has escaped into
interplanetary space. The
atmospheric pressure
at the planet's surface is 92 times that of the Earth, the great
majority of it carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. (By
comparison, a few hundreds of parts per million of carbon dioxide on
Earth are believed to cause significant warming.)
EARTH
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Class M |
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Points of Interest: |
Yosemite National Park
Eiffel Tower
Golden Gate Bridge
Millennium Gate
Starfleet Academy
Starfleet Command |
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Description: |
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Earth is the third planet of the Sol system, the
homeworld of the Human species, and the location of the office of the
President of the United Federation of Planets. Earth is the primary planet
of United Earth, and also the United Federation of Planet's de facto capital
world.
The planet Earth was formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago, during the
formation of the Sol system.
At least three, and possibly more, sentient life forms evolved on Earth:
Humans, Humpback Whales, and Voth. According to Q, life evolved on Earth
from a group of amino acids combining to form the first proteins
approximately 3.5 billion years ago, "give or take an eon or two". This
first life on the planet would develop into, among other things, the Human
species. The Distant Origin theory postulated by Voth scientist Forra Gegen
suggested that his species also originated on Earth, long before the
evolution of the Human race. According to this theory, the Voth abandoned
Earth prior to the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period.
In its past, Earth has been challenged by threats inward and outward. It has
survived three World Wars, the last of which killed some 600 million Humans.
After the Third World War's conclusion in 2053, humanity began to pick up
the pieces.
In 2063, humanity had first contact with another race, the Vulcans. With
their assistance, Earth began an increased recovery phase. However, despite
this contact, various parts of Earth were still affected by what became
known as the "post-atomic horror". This post-atomic horror gave way to the
stirrings of new attempts at establishing various unified world alliances,
including the European Hegemony in 2123. These alliances would eventually be
instrumental in the establishment of the United Earth Government in 2150.
Sometime in the late 2150s, Earth was embroiled in a conflict with the
Romulans known as the Earth-Romulan War. Fought with primitive atomic
weapons, both sides never met face to face. The war came to an end with the
United Earth victory at the Battle of Cheron. This was a humiliating defeat
for the Romulans and would establish long-term political effects within the
Romulan Empire lasting well into the 24th century.
Attacks on Earth
During its long history the existence of the planet has been threatened by
both natural disasters and actions of alien intelligences.
- In 2153 Earth was pre-emptively attacked by the
Xindi, who were unwillingly helping a faction fighting the Temporal Cold
War. Using a smaller, prototype version of the planned Xindi superweapon,
the weapon destroyed a section of the planet stretching from Florida to
Venezuela; killing 7 million people.
- In 2154 a working version of the Xindi
superweapon was destroyed by Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise NX
before it entered Earth orbit.
- In 2272 a massive machine lifeform called V'Ger
threatened to destroy all biological life on Earth if its demands were not
met. The attack was narrowly averted by the USS Enterprise.
- In 2286, an alien probe of unknown origin
wreaked ecological havoc while trying to contact an extinct species of
Humpback whale by transmitting massive amounts of energy into Earth's
oceans.
- In 2367 a Borg cube entered Earth orbit, but was
stopped by the USS Enterprise-D moments before it began to attack the
planet.
- In 2373 a second Borg cube attacked Earth and
was destroyed in orbit by a Starfleet armada. As the cube exploded, a Borg
sphere escaped and traveled into the past and attempted to prevent
Humanity's First Contact with Vulcans in 2063.
- In 2375, the Borg decided to create another
strategy, since all direct assaults on Earth failed so far. They planned
to detonate a biogenic charge in Earth's atmosphere, infecting all
lifeforms with nanoprobe viruses, triggering a gradual assimilation.
According to the Borg Queen, half the population would be drones until the
effect is realized.
- Also in 2375, the Breen Confederacy attacked
Earth in a surprise attack on Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco
during the Dominion War.
- In 2379, the Enterprise-E prevented use of
thalaron radiation emitted from a biogenic weapon wielded by Praetor
Shinzon. Such use could have destroyed all biological life on the planet.
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LUNA
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Class D |
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Points of Interest: |
Copernicus City
Copernicus Ship Yards (in orbit)
Lake Armstrong
Lunaport
New Berlin
Orpheus Mining Colony
Tranquility Base
Tycho City |
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Description: |
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Luna, known on Earth as simply
the moon, is the only natural satellite of the planet Earth.
The first manned Human landing took place in 1969 by Apollo 11, a NASA
mission initiated by the Earth nation-state of the United States of America.
The first man to walk on the moon was Neil Armstrong, who said "That's one
small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
The moon is about one quarter of the Earth in size, and scientists consider
the Earth-moon system to be a 'double planet' system, if not a close mirror
of one. The moon is tidally locked, with one side always facing the Earth.
Amongst the moon's most striking features are the maria, vast dark and flat
plains formed by basaltic upwelling or lava flows. In one such mare, Mare
Tranquillitatis, or the "Sea of Tranquility", lies the site of the first
Human landing on the moon, Tranquility Base.
In the late 21st century the Lunar colonies were founded. People who live in
those colonies, even by the 24th century, still refer to Luna as "the moon",
though outsiders are often surprised by this.
In the 24th century, the moon possesses a lake, called Lake Armstrong,
visible from Earth. Since Dorian Collins said one still needs suits to
travel on the moon's surface, it is unlikely that this means the moon
possesses an atmosphere. Rather, it appears the lake must exist within an
enclosed dome. |
MARS
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Class K |
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Points of Interest: |
Mars Heritage Site
Utopia Planitia
Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards
Verteron Array |
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Description: |
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The planet Mars is a Class K
planet and the fourth planet of the Sol system.
As the first Human colony on Mars was established in 2103, the Fundamental
Declarations of the Martian colonies were an important step in the pursuit
of individual rights.
Mars was the first planet to be terraformed by Humans. Colonists originally
dwelt within domed cities while the verteron array was used to redirect
comets and asteroids towards the Red Planet to impact in the polar caps.
This freed carbon dioxide and released it into the atmosphere, increasing
the planet's temperature and water volume. By 2155, conditions in the
lowlands of the Martian surface were sufficiently altered to allow Humans to
roam freely without heavy environmental suits.
Utopia Planitia was established along with the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards
in geo-synchronous orbit above, where many famous vessels including the USS
Enterprise-D and the USS Defiant were built.
Mars was also an important part in the defense of the Sol system and the
location of the Mars Defense Perimeter. |
JUPITER
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Class J |
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Points of Interest: |
Jupiter Station |
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Description: |
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A Class J planet and the fifth
planet of the Sol System.
The first Earth probe to visit Jupiter was Pioneer 10 in 1973.
At the end of the 20th century CE, an unmanned NASA probe named Galileo was
sent out to explore Jupiter and its moons.
The first permanent Human presence near Jupiter may have been established by
the end of the 21st century.
By 2153, Jupiter Station in orbit of Jupiter served as a repair facility to
Earth Starfleet.
The Jupiter Mining Corporation is in charge of mining the planet.
Jupiter was seen on a map depicting the Sol system watched by Nomad |
SATURN
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Class J |
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Points of Interest: |
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Description: |
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Saturn is a Class J planet and
is the sixth planet of the Sol System.
In early 2367 the invading Borg Cube passed Saturn on its way towards Earth.
Saturn is often considered as the pearl of the Sol system, the origin of
which is the planet's beautiful appearance together with its distinct
ring-system. Like Jupiter, Saturn is a class J gas giant.
When she was a child, Rain Robinson was able to see Saturn's rings through
her brother's telescope. She used to think that they looked like jewels from
a pirate's treasure, All she ever wanted since then was to reach up and
touch them. This was when she realized, she wanted to become an astronomer. |
URANUS
Uranus
is the seventh
planet from the
Sun, the third
largest and fourth most massive planet in the
solar system. It
is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky (Uranus,
Ορανός),
the father of
Kronos (Saturn)
and grandfather of
Zeus (Jupiter).
Uranus was the first planet discovered in modern times. Though it is
visible to the naked eye like the five
classical planets,
it was never recognized as a planet by ancient observers due to its
dimness. Sir
William Herschel
announced its discovery on
March 13,
1781, expanding
the known boundaries of the
solar system for
the first time in modern history. This was also the first discovery of a
planet made using a
telescope.
Uranus and
Neptune have
different internal and
atmospheric compositions
from those of the larger
gas giants
Jupiter and
Saturn. As such,
astronomers sometimes place them in a separate category, the "ice
giants". Uranus' atmosphere, while
still composed primarily of
hydrogen and
helium, contains
a higher proportion of "ices" such as
water,
ammonia and
methane, along
with the usual traces of
hydrocarbons. It
is the coldest planetary atmosphere in the Solar System, with a minimum
temperature of 49 K, and has a complex layered
cloud structure,
in which water is thought to make up the lowest clouds, while methane
makes up the uppermost layer of clouds.
Like the other giant planets, Uranus
has a
ring system, a
magnetosphere,
and numerous
moons. The
Uranian system has a unique configuration among the planets because its
axis of rotation
is tilted sideways, nearly into the plane of its revolution about the
Sun; its north and south poles lie where most other planets have their
equators.[15]
Seen from Earth, Uranus' rings appear to circle the planet like an
archery target
and its moons revolve around it like the hands of a
clock. In
1986, images from
Voyager 2
showed Uranus as a virtually featureless planet in visible light without
the cloud bands or
storms associated
with the other giants.[15]
However, ground-based observers have seen signs of
seasonal change
and increased
weather activity
in recent years as Uranus approaches its
equinox. The
wind speeds on
Uranus can reach 250 m/s
NEPTUNE
Neptune
(IPA:
/nep.tjun/), (IPA:
/nep.tjun/) is the
eighth and farthest known
planet from the
Sun in the
Solar System. It
is the fourth largest planet by diameter, and the third largest by mass;
Neptune is 17 times the mass of
Earth and is
slightly more massive than its near-twin
Uranus, which is
14 Earth masses; due to its slightly smaller volume, Neptune is more
dense. The planet is named after the
Roman god of the sea.
Its
astronomical symbol
is Trident, a stylized version of
Poseidon's
Trident.
Neptune's
atmosphere is
primarily composed of
hydrogen and
helium, with
traces of
methane that
account for the planet's blue appearance. Neptune's blue color is much
more vivid than that of Uranus, which has a similar amount of methane.
Therefore, another component is presumed to cause Neptune's intense
color. Neptune also has the strongest winds of any planet in the solar
system, measured as high as 2,100 km/h.[9]
At the time of the 1989
Voyager 2
flyby, it had in
its southern hemisphere a
Great Dark Spot
comparable to the
Great Red Spot on
Jupiter.
Neptune's temperature at its cloud tops is usually close to −218 °C, one
of the coldest in the solar system, due to its great distance from the
sun. The temperature in Neptune's centre is about 7,000 °C, which is
comparable to the Sun's surface and similar to most other known planets.
Discovered on
September 23,
1846, Neptune was
the first planet discovered by mathematical prediction rather than
regular observation.
Perturbations in
the orbit of
Uranus led
astronomers to deduce Neptune's existence. It has been visited by only
one spacecraft, Voyager 2, which flew by the planet on
August 25,
1989. In 2003,
there was a proposal to
NASA's "Vision
Missions Studies" to implement a "Neptune
Orbiter with Probes" mission that does
Cassini-level
science without fission-based electric power or propulsion. The work is
being done in conjunction with
JPL and the
California Institute of Technology.
PLUTO
Background
- Named for the Roman god of
the underworld in
Terran
mythology, Pluto enjoyed
planetary
status until a controversial 2006 session of the International
Astronomical Union (IAU) reclassified the body as a "dwarf
planet."
- Pluto was referred to as
the "ninth planet" in the
Star Trek Encyclopedia.
The non-canon reference manual
The Worlds of the Federation
mentions that there is also a tenth planet in the Sol system,
although this planet has never been mentioned or seen in any Star
Trek production.
Also
designated
134340 Pluto, is the second-largest known
dwarf planet in
the
Solar System and
the tenth-largest body observed directly orbiting the Sun. Originally
considered a
planet, Pluto is
now recognised as the largest member of a distinct region called the
Kuiper belt. Like
other members of the belt, it is primarily composed of rock and ice and
is relatively small; approximately a fifth the mass of the
Earth's
Moon and a third
its volume. It has an
eccentric orbit
that takes it from 30 to 49
AU (4.4–7.4
billion km) from the
Sun, and is
highly inclined with respect to the planets. As a result, Pluto
occasionally comes closer to the Sun than the planet
Neptune.
Pluto and its largest moon,
Charon, are often
considered a
binary system
because the
barycentre of
their orbits does not lie within either body.[3]
The
International Astronomical Union
(IAU) has yet to formalise a definition for binary dwarf planets, and
until it passes such a ruling, Charon is classified as a
moon of Pluto.
Pluto has two other known
smaller moons,
Nix and
Hydra, discovered
in 2005.
From the time of its discovery in 1930
until 2006, Pluto was considered the Solar System's ninth planet. In the
late 20th and early 21st centuries, however, many objects similar to
Pluto were discovered in the outer solar system, most notably the
scattered disc object
Eris, which is
27% more massive than Pluto. On
August 24,
2006 the IAU
defined the term "planet"
for the first time. This definition excluded Pluto from planethood, and
reclassified it under the new category of
dwarf planet
along with
Eris and
Ceres. After the
reclassification, Pluto was added to the list of
minor planets and
given the
number
134340.
2003 UB 313
Pluto compared to
Eris, (136472) 2005 FY9,(136108) 2003 EL61,
Sedna, Orcus, Quaoar, and Varuna compared to Earth (artist's
impressions; no detailed photographs exist).
The discovery of the
Kuiper belt and
Pluto's relation to it led many to question whether Pluto could be
considered separately from others in its population. In 2002, the KBO
50000 Quaoar was
discovered, with a diameter of roughly 1,280 kilometers, about half that
of Pluto. In 2004, the discoverers of
90377 Sedna
placed an upper limit of 1,800 kilometers on its diameter, near Pluto's
diameter of 2,320 kilometres. Just as
Ceres eventually
lost its planet status after the discovery of the other
asteroids,
so, it was argued, Pluto should be reclassified as one of the Kuiper
belt objects.
On
July 29,
2005, the
discovery of a
Trans-Neptunian object
later named
Eris was
announced, which is now known to be slightly larger than Pluto. This was
the largest object discovered in the solar system since
Triton in 1846.
Its discoverers and the media initially called it the "tenth planet",
although there was no official consensus at the time on whether to call
it a planet or not. Others
in the astronomical community considered the discovery to be the
strongest argument for reclassifying Pluto as a minor planet.
The last remaining distinguishing
features of Pluto were now its large moon,
Charon, and its
atmosphere; these characteristics are probably not unique to Pluto:
several other Trans-Neptunian objects have satellites; and
Eris' spectrum
suggests that it has a similar surface composition to Pluto. It also
possesses a moon,
Dysnomia,
discovered in September 2005. Trans-Neptunian object
2003 EL61
(nicknamed "Santa") has two moons (one of which is nicknamed "Rudolph")
and is the fourth largest TNO behind
Eris, Pluto, and
2005 FY9
(nicknamed "Easterbunny").
Museum and planetarium directors
occasionally created controversy by omitting Pluto from planetary models
of the solar system. Some omissions were intentional; the
Hayden Planetarium
reopened after renovation in 2000 with a model of 8 planets without
Pluto. The controversy made headlines in the media at the time.
Planetary Classifications
Class A - Gas Supergiant
Planets
of this class are usually found in a star's outer or "cold zone." They
are typically 140,000 to 10,000,000 kilometers in diameter and have high
core temperatures causing them to radiate heat. Low stellar radiation
and high planet gravity enable them to keep a tenuous surface comprised
of gaseous hydrogen and hydrogen compounds.
Examples:
Alpha 4 & 5, Antares 4 & 5, Antos 5, Arcturus 5, Argelius 5, Betelgeuse
3, Canopus 6, Eminiar 10, Herculis 3, Jupiter (Sol 5), Rigel 13, Spica 1
& 2, UFC 892 10 & 11, Vega 5 & 6.
Class B - Gas Giant
Class
B Planets are usually found in a star's outer or "cold zone." They are
typically 50,000 to 140,000 kilometers in diameter and have high core
temperatures but do not radiate much heat. Low stellar radiation and
high planet gravity enable them to keep a tenuous surface comprised of
gaseous hydrogen and hydrogen compounds.
Examples:
61 Cygni 7, Alpha Centauri 6, Arcturus 6 & 7, Argelius 6 & 7, Betelgeuse
4 & 5, Canopus 7, Epsilon Bootis 4, Epsilon Indi 7 & 9, Neptune (Sol 8),
Procyon 5, Rigel 10, 11 & 14, Saturn (Sol 6), Uranus (Sol 7)
Class C - Reducing
 Planets of this class are usually found in a star's "habitable
zone." They are typically 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers in diameter. They
have high surface temperatures due to the "greenhouse effect" caused by
their dense atmospheres. The only water found is in vapor form.
Examples:
61 Cygni 2 & 3, Alpha Tauri 2, Arcturus 2, Argelius 1, Epsilon Indi 2,
Medusa, Rigel 1, Sirius 2, Tau Ceti 2, Tholia, Venus (Sol 2).
Class D - Geo-Plastic
 Planets
of this class are usually found in a star's "habitable zone." They are
typically 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers in diameter. They have a molten
surface because they have been recently formed. The atmosphere contains
many hydrogen compounds and reactive gases. Class D planets eventually
cool, becoming class E.
Examples:
Epsilon Indi 3, Excalbia
Class E - Geo-Metallic
Planets of this class have a molten core and are usually found in
a star's "habitable zone."
They are typically 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers in diameter.
Their atmospheres still contain hydrogen compounds. They will cool
further eventually becoming class F.
Examples: 61 Cygni 4, Altair 3, Arcturus 3, Capella 3, Canopus 4, Janus
6, Rigel 3, Vega 3
Class F - Geo-Crystalline
 Class F planets are usually found in a star's "habitable zone."
They are typically 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers in diameter and have
surfaces that are still crystalizing. Their atmospheres still contain
some toxic gases. They will cool eventually, becoming class C, M or N.
Examples:
Delta Vega 2, Vega 4
Class G - Desert
 Planets of this class can be found in any of a star's zones. They
are typically 8,000 to 15,000 kilometers in diameter. Their surfaces are
usually hot. Their atmospheres contain heavy gases and metal vapors.
Examples: Capella 4, Ceti Alpha 5, Rigel 12, Tau Ceti 5, Taurus 2,
Triacus (Epsilon Indi 4)
Class H - Geo-Thermal
 Planets of this class are usually found in a star's "habitable
zone" or "cold zone." They are typically 1,000 to 10,000 kilometers in
diameter. They have partially molten surfaces and atmospheres that
contain many hydrogen compounds. They cool, becoming class L.
Examples:
Alpha Centauri 5, Gothos, T'khut (40 Eridani 2)
Class I - Asteroid/Moon
 Planetary bodies of this class can be found in any of a star's
zones. They are usually found in orbit of larger planets or in asteroid
fields. They are typically 100 to 1,000 kilometers in diameter. They
have no atmospheres. Their surfaces are barren and cratered.
Examples: Ceres, Deimos, Kera, Luna, Phinda, Phobos
Class J - Geo-Morteus
 Planets of this class are found in a star's "hot zone". They are
typically 1,000 to 10,000 kilometers in diameter. They have high surface
temperatures due to the proximity to the star. Their atmospheres are
extremely tenuous with few chemically active gases.
Examples: Alpha Centauri 1, Alpha Tauri 1, Altair 1 & 2, Arcturus 1,
Canopus 1, Capella 1 & 2, Deneb 1, Mercury (Sol 1), Procyon 1 & 2,
Sirius 1, Vega 1 & 2
Class K - Adaptable
 Planets of this class are usually found in a star's "habitable
zone." They are adaptable for humanoid colonization through the use of
pressure domes and other life support devices. They are typically 5,000
to 10,000 kilometers in diameter. They have thin atmospheres. Small
amounts of water are present.
Examples:
Alpha Centauri 2 & 3, Alpha Taur 4, Altair 6, Antares 2 & 3, Argelius 3
& 4, Betelgeuse 2, Canopus 5, Mars (Sol 4), Mudd Procyon 4, Rigel 9,
Sirius 4, Vega 7 & 8, Velara 3
Class L - Geo-Inactive
 Planets of this class are usually found in a star's "habitable
zone" or "cold zone." They are typically 1,000 to 10,000 kilometers in
diameter. Low solar radiation and minimal internal heat usually result
in a frozen atmosphere.
Examples: Alpha 3, Antares B 3, Aurelia, Epsilon Indi 10, Marcos 12,
Orna, Pluto (Sol 9), Psi-2000, Sauria, Sirius 8 & 9, Time Planet
Class M - Terrestrial
 Planets of this class are found in a star's "habitable zone."
They are typically 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers in diameter. They have
atmospheres that contain oxygen and nitrogen. Water and life-forms are
typically abundant. If water covers more than 97% of the surface, then
they are considered class N.
Examples:
Alpha Centauri 7, Andor (Epsilon Indi 8), Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri 3),
Antos 4, Arcturus 4, Argelius 2, Benzar, Betazed, Betelgeuse 1, Bynaus,
Cait, Canopus 2 & 3, Cardassia, Catulla, Daran 5, Delta 5, Deneb 2, 4 &
5, Earth, Melkotia, Merak 2, Phylos 2, Qo'noS, Rigel 2, 4 & 8, Risa,
Spica 3, Tellar (61 Cygni 5), Tiburon, Vega 9, Vulcan
Class N - Pelagic
 Class N planets are usually found in a star's "habitable zone."
They are typically 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers in diameter. They have
atmospheres that contain oxygen and nitrogen . Water and life-forms are
typically abundant. If water covers less than 97% of the surface, then
they are considered class M.
Examples: Argo, Ascella, Canopus 8, Deneb 3
Class S - Near Star
 Planets of this class are usually found in a star's "cold zone."
They are typically 50,000,000 to 120,000,000 kilometers in diameter and
have high core temperatures causing them to radiate heat and light.
These are the largest possible planets, because most planetary bodies
that reach this size do become stars.
Examples:
Bader Beta 10, Bruedon Beta 4, Horst 10, M'kyru Epsilon 4, Morphus Delta
10, Pandemus Epsilon 5, Ruhr Beta 6, Rydle Delta 7, Shonoisho Delta 6
Class T - Gas Ultragiant
 Planets of this class are usually found in a star's "cold zone."
They are typically 10,000,000 to 50,000,000 kilometers in diameter. They
have high core temperatures causing them to radiate enough heat to keep
water in a liquid state.
Examples:
Bruedon Epsilon 5, Optima Alpha 5
CLASS Y - Demon
 Planets
and planetoids of this class can be found in any of a star's zones. They
are typically 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers in diameter. Atmospheric
conditions are often turbulent and saturated with poisonous chemicals
and thermionic radiation. Surface temperatures can reach in excess of
500 K. (Starfleet Note: Communication is frequently impossible, and
transport may be difficult. Simply entering orbit is a dangerous
prospect. No known environment is less hospitable to humanoid life than
a Class Y planetary body.)
CLASS Z - Brown Dwarf
 Planets
of this class are found only in star's hot zone. They typically have a
mass much greater than Jupiter (approximately 10 million times or more
than the mass of Jupiter, but less than 84 million times the mass of
Jupiter -- the mass of Earth's sun.) Surface temperatures can reach
approximately 1000 K. Class Z planets are extremely unstable and
inhospitable. They are essentially 'failed stars' which did not acquire
enough mass to sustain the hydrogen fusion necessary to become a star.
Brown Dwarfs have presented a quandary for astronomers since their
discovery in the late 20th century because they may qualify as a class
of stars or as a class of planets.
Examples:
S Ori 47, HHJ 409 and CFHT-PL 8
Most information edited
and adapted from The Computer Core Dump.
Star Classifications
The
original version of the current MK system was defined by Morgan, Keenan,
and Kellman (1943), and a revised list of standards was published in
1953 by Morgan and Johnson. Additional refinements have been added since
then.
MK
Spectral Classification System (Standard)
|
Class |
Color |
Temperature (K) |
Composition |
|
O |
Dark Blue |
28,000-50,000 |
ionized atoms, especially helium |
|
B |
Blue |
10,000-28,000 |
neutral helium, some hydrogen |
|
A |
Light Blue |
7,500-10,000 |
strong hydrogen, some ionized metals |
|
F |
White |
6,000-7,500 |
hydrogen and ionized metals; calcium and iron |
|
G |
Yellow |
5,000-6,000 |
ionized calcium; both neutral and ionized metals |
|
K |
Orange |
3,500-5,000 |
neutral metals |
|
M |
Red
 |
2,500-3,500 |
strong molecules; titanium oxide, neutral calcium |
**Three additional categories are also in the scheme: R, N, and S types,
which were later realized to represent stars with peculiar heavy-metal
abundances. Other types (Q for novae, W for Wolf-Rayet stars, T for T
Tauri stars, etc...) are encountered infrequently. Thus, the above
listing is considered the standard classification scheme, and R, N, S,
T, Q, W, etc... are addendums in the rare cases they are observed.**
Each
class is subdivided into 10 categories by decreasing temperature within
each class. This scale ranges from 0 (the hottest) to 9 (the coolest),
i.e., A0, A1, A2, ... A8, A9. So, an A4 star is hotter then an A7. For
instance, Vega is an A0 and the Sun is a G2.
Stars are then further classified by their type into six luminosity
categories by the Yerkes scheme, as seen in the Hertzsprung-Russell
Diagram below (based on Luminosity and Temperature (K)):
Ia:
Most Luminous Supergiants
Ib: Less Luminous Supergiants
II: Luminous Giants
III: Normal Giants
IV: Sub-Giants
V: Main Sequence (Dwarfs)
Thus, Sol, is categorized a G2V classification. That is, a G-Type 2 Main
Sequence star.
The
information contained on this page is not fictitious, this is the actual
classification system in use today by astronomers worldwide.
Original Information edited and adapted from The Computer Core Dump
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