Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!
Planetary Classifications.

There are apparently two separate alphabetical schemes for classifying planets amd planetoids:

1.  Size:
    The Enterprise encountered an asteroid belt in the Gamma Canaris region of approximately
    7,000 bodies.  Their sizes ranged from types "A" to "N".
                                                            "Metamorphosis" [TOS]

2.  Atmosphere: 
    A description of a body's atmosphere as it relates to habitability, and / or suitability for

    humanoid life...
    Approximately 34% of the bodies in the Gamma Canaris asteroid belt had atmospherian types
    "H" to "M."  (This would appear to be the Earthman-breathable range of the spectrum of
    atmospheric types.  When we encounter planetary types in Star Trek, it must usually be referring
    to this second classification scheme).
                                                            "Metamorphosis" [TOS]

It is also likely that this classification is not based on the English alphabet but instead on the initial letters
    of the Vulcan words to describe the planet's atmospheres.  For example, the Vulcan word "Min-shara"
    (which apparently translates to something like "suitable for humanoid life") has probably been shortened
    to the class letter "M".                       "Strange New World" [ENT]

    Other clues that the classification is not based on the English alphabet include:
    The fact that letters appear in the classification system which are not even in the English alphabet.
    (Norcadia Prime is a class Theta planet).
    Even though the order of letters from H to M in the English alphabet includes J,  J cannot be included
    in the habitable range of planets.  J refers to gas giants, and gas giants cannot reasonably be thought to
    be habitable.
    On the other hand, even though in English D doesn't fall between H and M, Class D planets are habitable.
    (If we arrange the sequence from the least habitable worlds to the most habitable, I'd guess that the
    sequence must go something like J T Y C N H D K L Th M)

It also seems that many of these classes are further subdivided into numbered classes indicating what
    type of moon or gas giant, etc that they are.
                                                            "Sleeping Dogs" [ENT], "In the Flesh" [VOY]
 

Class C:
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
Theta-116 VIII 8th planet in Theta 116 solar system (Theta Eight)
nitrogen, methane, liquid neon, ammonia storms; 
winds up to 312 m/s;   Geordi claims the surface
temperature is minus 291 degrees Celsius, but
since minus 273 is absolute zero this seems quite
impossible...
(Perhaps in the Star Trek future there is another
temperature scale in use that is abbreviated C and Geordi
mistook it for Celsius as he read it from the display?)
-- from the Okudagram:
Class C Transjovian.
Estimated Age = 2x10E10 solar years
Rotation period = 15.3 hrs
Revolution period = 832 S Days (standard days?)
Mean Surface Temp = -291 deg C
"The Royale" [TNG]

Class D:
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
Regula Regula -"a few unremarkable ores...
 a great rock in space"
"The Wrath of Khan" [ST2]
Astrometric representation A system with a type-3 sun and three
planets is located inside of a gravity
"sinkhole", out of phase with normal
space. 
One of the planets is class D.
It is described as "hot, arid, rocky".
"Gravity" [VOY]
Ringed Class D Planet A ringed planet.
Some of the asteroids comprising the
rings were large enough to have
class M environments inside them.
"Emanations" [VOY]
Weytahn Weytahn (Paan Mokar) - 
  before terraforming,  it was class D.
 "not much larger than the moon."
"Cease Fire" [ENT]

Class H:
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
Tau Cygna V
Tau Cygna V - "bathed in deadly radiation but suitable for
colonization by the Sheliak" under the Treaty of Armens,
Section 501, paragraph 716, subparagraph 5 which states,
"unwanted humans on H-class planets may be removed at
the discretion of the Sheliak Corporate."                                     .
"Ensigns of Command" [TNG]
No
Picture
Available
"moon - oxygen/argon atmosphere" "Scorpion, Part 2" [VOY]

Class J (Gas Giant):
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
Gas Giant "gaseous giant 
(With free fluorine in the atmosphere, at least in some spots.);
two moons."
"Starship Down" [DS9]
class 6 Gas Giant J(6):  To keep a Malon vessel from stealing it,
Voyager steered its multispatial probe 
(equipped with immersion shield technology)
into the atmosphere of a class 6 gas giant
that they had just finished surveying. 
It remained intact and was repairable, but got
stuck in a layer of liquid hydrogen and methane
about 10,000 km below the outer atmosphere
and no longer responded to Voyager's remote
commands. 
"Extreme Risk" [VOY]
Gas Giant J(6) or J(7):  Archer thought the gas giant which contained
the Suliban Helix within its atmosphere was
a class 6 or 7.  It turned out to be a class 7
It had a radiation belt which dissipated warp-
trails going through it.  Enterprise was able to
compensate for it by recalibrating their sensor
array to a narrow band, short to mid-range,
and measuring particle density in the
thermosphere.
"Broken Bow" [ENT]
Class 9 Gas Giant J(9):  Enterprise found a class 9 gas giant and
decided to invesigate it.
There are no class 9 gas giants in Earth's
solar system.
The Klingon term for this type of gas giant
is Q'tahl-class.
"Sleeping Dogs" [ENT]

Class K:
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
Class K
Mudd - "adaptable for humanoid use with pressure domes" "I, Mudd" [TOS]

Class L:
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
Class L Briori planet, now named New Earth  - 
"oxygen/argon atmosphere;
trinimbic interference in upper atmosphere"
"The 37's" [VOY]
Class L Odo and Quark, after the sabotage of their
runabout, were forced down on a Class-L
planet.
It was described as "cold, barely habitable".
"The Ascent" [DS9]
Class L "fourth planet in system;
surrounded by exogenic field with high
gravimetric stresses and composed of
subspace metreon radiation, generated
by unstable elements in the planet's core;
barely breathable atmosphere, excess
of carbon dioxide"
"The Sound of Her Voice" [DS9]
Indri VIII Indri VIII
No evidence of intelligent life or any
animals was detected there,
but the planet was covered with
deciduous vegetation.
"The Chase" [TNG]
No
Picture
Available
It is a theoretical possibility that Class L planetoids contain hot water springs,
which could sustain a man for several weeks (but not for a whole year).
"Riddles" [VOY]
Class L In an alternate timeline, Voyager crashed
on an unnamed Class L planet in the
Tekara sector.
"Timeless" [VOY]

4th planet in a type F star system. "Muse" [VOY]
No
Picture
Available
L-class moon in the next system.  Away team could survive there for weeks if they had to. "Good Shepard" [VOY]
No
Picture
Available
breathable atmosphere "Bounty" [ENT]

Class M   (Min-shara class):
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
Earth oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere, 
earth-like conditions.                                .
[All episodes]                            .


Class N:
Picture
(if available)
Description Source

N(2):  When Data is going through the computer looking for explosives he comes across the following:
34-5580 TRI-NICKOLAS POWDER
Non-oxidizing chemical explosive used in class-N(2) planetary environments for engineering applications.
This substance is unstable in oxygen atmospheres and must be handled in accordance with SFRA 2884.3 safety regulations.
"Night Terrors" [TNG]

Class T:
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
Class T ringed gas giant;  surrounded by orbital rings, one of which was radiogenic.  The ring was ignited by 
the Delta Flyer.
"Good Shepherd" [VOY]

Class Theta:
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
Norcadia Norcadia Prime
Planetoid (Neighbouring the Pendari System)
population of 260 million; binary suns.
inhabited by Borg designated Species 689;
located in Spatial Grid 2369. 
"Tsunkatse" [VOY]
"Collective" [VOY]
"Ashes to Ashes" [VOY]

Class Y   (Demon class):
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
Class Y "toxic atmosphere; 
thermeonic radiation which makes it dangerous
for a vessel to enter orbit;
surface temperatures over 500K; 
dense pockets of deuterium underneath surface."
"Demon" [VOY]
Hadara Ha'Dara (Bajoran for "home of light") -
"toxic atmosphere, sulfuric deserts,
no trees, no life at all"
"Flesh and Blood" [VOY]
Ord Mining planet
planet claimed by Ord marine mining treaty. "Course, Oblivion" [VOY]

Class 3 Moon:
Picture
(if available)
Description Source
No
Picture
Available
An unnamed moon which Voyager hid behind to avoid
detection.
It is near Terra-sphere 8, a training facility for members
of species 8472 attempting to infiltrate Starfleet.
"In the Flesh" [VOY]

 

----------------------------------------------------

[ Back to Index Page ]

1