Galactic
Encyclopedia
100th edition, 5002
AD/Federal Year 1011/Serenity Year 2010,
Finis Astra Encyclopedia
Corporation
Galactic Standard
System for Classification of Planets
by Dr. Henry Banner,
Professor of Astrophysics, Finis
Astra University
Classification Types
Worlds are chiefly classified by
four criteria: habitability and composition, mana level position
relative to the system's star or stars, and size, although a variety of
other classifications are also often used.
Mana levels are discussed in the
article, 'Magic'. Position relative to the
star is usually designated by affixing a number in 'Roman Numerals' after
the system name, such as 'Anatares IV'. While most inhabited
worlds have a more unique name, those who live outside the system normally
use the standard naming designation. Size is usually designated either
by circumference at the equator or by radius.
Habitability and Composition are
more complex. The system is roughly as follows:
-
A: These are tiny worlds,
from the size of an asteroid to a small moon. Usually, they lack
any atmosphere.
-
B: Barren. A world that
could be terraformed, but is currently not appropriate for settlement.
-
D: Dangerous. A world
that could be settled, but possesses some major problem, such as being
overrun with energy-sucking monsters.
-
F: Fae. A world controlled
by the faeries, and often dangerous for non-Faeries to visit.
-
G: Gas Giant. A world
that is largely semi-coherent gas, usually around some sort of frozen gas
core.
-
H: Hot. These worlds
are too close to their star for settlement.
-
I: Ice. These worlds
are frozen over.
-
L: Legendary. A world,
usually high-mana, which seems to be based on some set of legends of one
of the sentient races. These high mana worlds are usually left alone,
as anyone who enters them tends to be assimilated into the story in progress.
Their origins are unknown.
-
M: A world that is suitable
for settlement immediately, although it may contain some dangers.
-
O: A world already occupied
by sentient non-faerie life.
-
S: Sentient. These
worlds are alive and self-willed in some manner, ranging from being a Great
Old One to magic, to strangely evolved telepathically group minds.
-
T: Toxic. This includes
both worlds with a composition largely poisonous to most sentient species,
and also the subclass, T-2, of worlds whose mana level is so high that
it tends to destroy visitors within a few minutes or days.
-
W: A water world, with
land surface of 10% or less.
Often, multiple designations can be
combined. To give some examples, the Solar System of Earth in 5002
AD can be classified as follows (Only the major worlds are listed here,
not all the colonized moons):
-
Sol 1--Mercury. Type FH
-
Sol 2--Venus. Type F
-
Sol 3--Earth. Type MO
-
Sol 3/1--The Moon. Type MO (Due
to heavy terraforming in the early Crystal Millenium)
-
Sol 4--Mars. Type MO
-
Sol 5--Jupiter. Type G
-
Sol 6--Saturn. Type G
-
Sol 7--Uranus. Type G.
-
Sol 8--Neptune. Type G.
-
Sol 9--Pluto. Type IO