Planetary Classifications
Created by Captain Mikoto Misaka on Sat Mar 23rd, 2024 @ 6:18am
A planet is a celestial body in orbit around a star or stellar remnants, that has sufficient mass for self-gravity and is nearly spherical in shape. A planet must not share its orbital region with other bodies of significant size (except for its own satellites), and must be below the threshold for thermonuclear fusion of deuterium.
If a celestial body meets those requirements, it is considered a planet; at that point, the planet is further classified by its atmosphere and surface conditions into one of twenty-two categories. |
Class A - Geothermal |
|
AGE: |
0-2 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
1,000 - 10,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Hot Zone/Ecosphere/Cold Zone |
SURFACE: |
Partially molten, very hot |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Carbon dioxide, hydrogen |
EVOLUTION: |
Cools to become Class C |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Gothos |
|
Class B - Geomorteus |
|
AGE: |
0-10 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
1,000 - 10,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Hot Zone |
SURFACE: |
Partially molten |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Extremely tenuous |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Mercury, Nebhilum |
|
Class C - Geo-Inactive |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
1,000 - 10,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Hot Zone/Ecosphere/Cold Zone |
SURFACE: |
Barren |
ATMOSPHERE: |
None |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Psi 2000 |
|
Class D - Dwarf |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
100 - 4,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Hot Zone/Ecosphere/Cold Zone |
SURFACE: |
Barren and cratered |
ATMOSPHERE: |
None or very tenuous |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Pluto, Ceres, Eredas-Il |
|
Class E - Geoplastic |
|
AGE: |
0-2 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
10,000 - 15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Ecosphere |
SURFACE: |
Molten, high surface temp. |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Hydrogen compounds |
EVOLUTION: |
Cools to become Class F |
LIFE FORMS: |
Carbon cycle |
EXAMPLES: |
Excalbia |
|
Class F - Geometallic |
|
AGE: |
1-3 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
10,000 - 15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Ecosphere |
SURFACE: |
Volcanic, barren |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane |
EVOLUTION: |
Cools to become Class G |
LIFE FORMS: |
Bacteria |
EXAMPLES: |
Janus IV |
|
Class G - Geocrystalline |
|
AGE: |
3-4 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
10,000 - 15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Ecosphere |
SURFACE: |
Rocky, mostly barren |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen |
EVOLUTION: |
Cools to Class H, K, L, M, N O, P |
LIFE FORMS: |
Vegetation, simple organisms |
EXAMPLES: |
Delta Vega |
|
Class H - Desert |
|
AGE: |
4-10 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
8,000 - 15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Ecosphere |
SURFACE: |
Hot, arid; >20% surface water |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Oxygen, nitrogen, argon, metals |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
Drought-resistant plants/animals |
EXAMPLES: |
Dimovius, Nimbus III, Corneria, Ocampa |
|
Class I - Ice Giant |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
30,000 - 100,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Cold Zone |
SURFACE: |
Rock, ice, methane, ammonia |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Hydrogen, helium |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Uranus, Neptune, Q'tahL |
|
Class J - Gas Giant |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
50,000 - 500,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Cold Zone |
SURFACE: |
Liquid metallic hydrogen |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Hydrogen, helium |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Jupiter, Saturn |
|
Class K - Adaptable |
|
AGE: |
4-10 billion years old |
DIAMETER: |
5,000 - 10,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Ecosphere |
SURFACE: |
Barren, little surface water |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Thin, mostly carbon dioxide |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
Primitive single-cell organisms |
EXAMPLES: |
Mars, Mudd |
|
Class L - Marginal |
|
AGE: |
4-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
15,000-30,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Ecosphere |
SURFACE: |
Rocky; little surface water |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Argon, oxygen, trace elements |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
Limited to vegetation |
EXAMPLES: |
Alarin III, Ciden II, Indri VII |
|
Class M - Terrestrial |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
10,000-15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Ecosphere |
SURFACE: |
Abundant surface water; temperate climate |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Nitrogen, oxygen, argon |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
Vegetation, animal, & humanoid |
EXAMPLES: |
Earth, Cardassia, Kalidar, Vulcan |
|
Class N - Reducing |
|
AGE: |
3-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
10,000-15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Ecosphere |
SURFACE: |
Barren; high temperatures |
ATMOSPHERE: |
carbon dioxide and sulfides |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Venus |
|
Class O - Pelagic |
|
AGE: |
3-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
10,000-15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Ecosphere |
SURFACE: |
80% water, archipelagos |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Nitrogen, oxygen, argon |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
Cetacean, humanoid, animal |
EXAMPLES: |
Azati Prime, Ka'Tula Prime, Zirat |
|
Class P - Glaciated |
|
AGE: |
3-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
10,000-15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Ecosphere |
SURFACE: |
80% frozen water, cold |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Nitrogen, oxygen |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
Vegetation, animal, & humanoid |
EXAMPLES: |
Andoria, Exo III, Rebena Te Ra, Rura Penthe |
|
Class Q - Variable |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
4,000-15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Hot Zone/Ecosphere/Cold Zone |
SURFACE: |
Molten, frozen, jungle, etc. |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Very tenuous to very dense |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Genesis Planet |
|
Class R - Rogue |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
4,000-15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Interstellar space |
SURFACE: |
Temperate |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Primarily volcanic outgassing |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
Non-photosynthetic plants, animals |
EXAMPLES: |
Dakala, Veneihm, Founders' Homeworld (prior to 2371) |
|
Class S - Gas Supergiant |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
500,000-100,000,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Cold Zone |
SURFACE: |
Liquid metallic hydrogen |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Hydrogen and helium |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Tethe-Alla IV |
|
Class U - Gas Ultragiant |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
50,000,000 - 120,000,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Hot Zone/Cold Zone |
SURFACE: |
Liquid hydrogen, deuterium |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Hydrogen and helium |
EVOLUTION: |
Can evolve into red dwarf stars |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Diadem, Tethe-Alla V |
|
Class X - Chthonian |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
1,000-10,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Hot Zone |
SURFACE: |
Barren, extremely hot |
ATMOSPHERE: |
None |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
None |
EXAMPLES: |
Osirus |
|
Class Y - Demon |
|
AGE: |
2-10 billion years |
DIAMETER: |
10,000-15,000 km |
LOCATION: |
Hot Zone |
SURFACE: |
Barren; extremely hot |
ATMOSPHERE: |
Turbulent, with toxic radiation |
EVOLUTION: |
N/A |
LIFE FORMS: |
None/Extremely rare, Mimetic |
EXAMPLES: |
Planet Hell (Delta Quadrant) |
|
Credit: Based on the Planetary Classification work by Captain Andrew Cullen, MD in 2009 while associated with the Starfleet Scientific Corps |