Planet Class
From Farscape Encyclopedia Project
Contents |
[edit] Planet classification list
[edit] Class A
Class A, or "Geothermal" planets, are small, young worlds with surfaces that are usually molten with possible volcanic activity. Atmospheres, if any, would be very thin. This is similar to the moon Io.
[edit] Class B
Class B, or "Geomorteus" planets, are young planets that are larger than Class A. They have partially molten surfaces and active volcanoes. Atmospheres, if any, are very thin. In our real solar system Mercury may be considered a Class B planet.
[edit] Class C
Class C, or "Geoinactive" planets, are young planets that are geologically inactive, (hence their name), and may be covered in ice and/or frozen gases. In our real solar system Pluto could be considered a Class C planet.
[edit] Class D
Class D objects are asteroids and moons. Some may also be so-called dwarf planets. They are small and geologically inactive. Atmosphere, if any, would be very thin. Earth's Moon could be considered Class D.
[edit] Class E
Class E, or "Geoplastic" planets are small, young and volcanically active worlds still in the process of forming. Their surfaces are largely molten. In the series, the planet Excalbia was considered Class E.
[edit] Class F
Class F, or "Geometallic" planets are very young worlds with volcanically active surfaces with heavy metallic cores rich in ores and minerals making them valuable to mining conglomerates. If any life develops it may be silicon-based.
[edit] Class G
Class G, or "Geocrystaline" planets are young, but large worlds, with surfaces that are still solidifying. Their atmospheres may contain carbon dioxide and other toxic gases. If there is any life present it would be limited to primitive single-celled organisms.
[edit] Class H
Class H planets are desert worlds with barren surfaces that are either hot and arid, (if in close orbit of the parent star) or covered with icy tundra if in a more distant orbit. Life forms developing on such a world would have to be resilient to either extreme hot or cold temperatures and if the planet is close to the star, resistant to solar radiation.
[edit] Class I
Class I planets are Gas Supergiants, over 140,000 km in diameter. They are comprised almost entirely hydrogen and helium, but may contain water vapor as well. They may contain a solid metallic mass core and radiate heat. They can have hundreds of moons and also water ice rings. Many extrasolar planets discovered in real life could be classified as Class I Supergiants.
[edit] Class J
Class J planets are Gas Giants less than 140,000km in diameter. They are mainly comprised of hydrogen and helium gases and could have a solid rocky or metallic core. They can have many moons as well as water ice rings. In real life, Jupiter and Saturn could be Class J planets.
[edit] Class K
Class K, or "Adaptable" planets, are rocky and barren with little, if any, surface water. Their atmospheres are thin, and comprise mostly carbon dioxide. Life forms, if any, are limited to single-celled organisms and algae. They are "adaptable" because through terraforming they are suitable for human colonization. In real life, Mars could be considered a Class K planet.
[edit] Class L
Class L, or "Marginal" planets, have rocky, barren surfaces with little water. Their atmospheres are mainly oxygen and argon with a high concentrations of carbon dioxide. Life forms, if any, would be limited to simple plant life. Class L planets are suitable for human colonization with some terraforming.
[edit] Class M
Always located in the ecological region of a star where they are provided enough warmth and energy to develop and sustain carbon-based life. Their surfaces comprises a thin tectonic layer floating on a molten rock mantle and they usually have many active volcanoes. Most importantly, they have plenty of liquid water necessary for life to exist. Their atmospheres contain oxygen and nitrogen with other trace gases. Life forms are almost always present, flourishing as extensive plant and animal life. Usually a sentient race is also present. Earth is a textbook example of a Class M world.
[edit] Class N
Class N, or "Reducing environment" planets, are barren and rocky with extremely high surface temperatures caused by an intense greenhouse effect. Their atmospheres are extremely dense comprising mainly carbon dioxide and corrosive sulfides. Sometime water vapor is present. Life would be limited to single-celled organisms living in the upper layers of atmosphere. In our real solar system, Venus could be a Class N planet. Some Class N planets may also fall into Class X, Y, or Z Demon planets, especially if a bizarre form of life exists on them.
[edit] Class O
Class O, or "Pelagic" planets, are similar to Class M worlds but over 80% of their surface is covered in water. Life forms would mainly be aquatic in nature.
[edit] Class P
Class P, or "Glaciated" planets, are similar to Class O water planets with an abundance of surface water, however almost all it is locked in frozen ice. Liquid water may be present under the ice but at extreme depths. Any life developing on the surface would have to adapt to extremely frigid conditions. In real life, the Jovian moons Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede could be considered Class P planets.
[edit] Class Q
Class Q, or "Variable" planets have variable surface conditions because they either orbit a variable output star, (where energy levels fluctuate), or they exist in an extremely elongated orbit passing very close then falling away to an extreme distance from the star. Variable conditions can also be caused by some other effect, either natural or artificial. The result is an extremely harsh world where temperatures rise and fall to extreme levels. Any life existing on such a world would have to be extremely adaptable to rapid climate changes.
[edit] Class R
Class R, or rogue planets, do not orbit stars. Instead, they float in the cold darkness of space. They most likely normally formed within a solar system but have been flung deep into space usually caused by the collision with another planetary body. The surface of a rogue planet would usually be barren, but some might be temperate due to geothermal venting with atmospheres filled with volcanic gases. Life would be rare, but some may have unusual life that gather near volcanic regions, (similar to how deep ocean life thrives near volcanic vents on Earth). The surface life would exist in complete darkness with plant life that is non-photosynthetic in nature.
[edit] Class S and T
Class S and Class T, or "Ultragiant" planets are Super Gas Giants or brown dwarfs. Their diameters range in size from 10 to 50 million km (Class S) and 50 to 120 million km (Class T). They radiate considerable heat and gravity and could have hundreds or thousands of moons, some of which might support life. In real life, some recently discovered extrasolar planets could classify as Class S or T Ultragiants.
[edit] Class X, Y and Z
Classes X, Y, and Z are reserved for strange planets referred to as "Demon" worlds where surface conditions do not fall into any other recognized category. Such worlds are usually hostile and lethal to humanoid life. If life develops on these worlds they usually take on many bizarre forms, like living crystal or rock, liquid or gaseous physical states, non-corporeal or dimensional states or be energy-based.
[edit] Notes
- Because planet classifications were never really discussed in Farscape, the information provided here is strictly non-canon and is actually based on Star Trek canon, which conincidently has found its way in to some areas of astronomy, and could eventually make the transition from science fiction to science fact. The Planet classes provided here are to allow for better basic descriptions of planets in the Farscape universe.
