Planet

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A Planet is an astronomical body located in the void, usually orbiting a star.

  • The IISS also uses this astrographic term near interchangeably with the term World.

Please see the following AAB articles for more information:


Description / Specifications

Planets possess a vast variety of identifying characteristics and can be categorized in many different ways. Some of the most common ways include: size, composition, exotic, and special natures.

Basic Planetary Types (Composition)

Planetary Characteristics (Composition)
Type Nickname Composition Remarks
Terrestrial World: Silicate world Ice Ball Icy or rocky world. Ice or light silicate rock. density of 1.3 to 3.0 gm/cc^3, Borean World
Terrestrial World: Low Iron world Rock Ball Rocky world. Heavy silicate rock, light metals. density of 3.1 to 4.5 gm/cc^3
Terrestrial World: Medium Iron world Rock Ball Rocky world. Moderate mixing of iron and denser metals with silicate rock and lighter metals. density of 4.6 to 6.0 gm/cc^3. Terra is a Medium Iron world.
Terrestrial World: High Iron world Metal Ball Metal world. Mostly iron and denser metals with a few silicate rocks. density of 6.1 to 7.0 gm/cc^3
Terrestrial World: Metallic world Metal Ball Metal world. Entirely iron and other dense metals. density over 7.1 gm/cc^3
Jovian World Gas Ball Mostly gases & some solids. Typically Gas Giants. Technically means huge world. Satellites of gas giants are known to have moons that can be habitable to conventional life. Jupiter is a gas giant.

Basic Planetary Types (Size)

Planetary Characteristics (Size)
Type Code Size Atm Hyd Pop Gov Law Remarks
Tiny World None 0RD -- -- -- -- -- (Dwarf World, Planetesimal, Planetoid, etc.)
Small World None S12 -- -- -- -- -- (Planetoid, Protoplanet, etc.)
Meso World None 345 -- -- -- -- -- (Mesoplanet)
Macro World None 678 -- -- -- -- -- Roughly Earth-sized.
Big World None 9AB+ -- -- -- -- -- A Super-Earth...
Gas Giant SGG SGG -- -- -- -- -- Small (SGG) gas giant.
Gas Giant LGG LGG -- -- -- -- -- Large (LGG) gas giant.

Exotic Planetary Types

  1. Double World (Double Planet)
  2. Doughnut World (Toroid World)
  3. Ellipsoid World
  4. Mobile World
  5. Ring World
  6. Rogue World
  7. Sphere World
TC Exotic World Series (Rarity) (IISS Scout Handbook, pgs. 490-491)
Type Code Size Atm Hyd Pop Gov Law Remarks
Double World None -- -- -- -- -- -- Double-planet mainworld.
Doughnut World None -- -- -- -- -- -- Toroidal world. A world with a hole in the center...
Ellipsoid World None -- -- -- -- -- -- Egg-shaped world.
Mobile World None -- -- -- -- -- -- Mobile world, whether natural or artificial, with added engines. Planetoid starships exist at TL-15.
Ring World None -- -- -- -- -- -- Artificial ring world. Megastructure.
Rogue World None -- -- -- -- -- -- Extrasystemic world. Thought to be very rare.
Sphere World None -- -- -- -- -- -- Dyson series worlds. Megastructure.

Special Planetary Types

  1. Locked World
  2. Main World
  3. Satellite World
  4. Twilight Zone World
TC Exotic World Series (Rarity) (IISS Scout Handbook, pgs. 490-491)
Type Code Size Atm Hyd Pop Gov Law Remarks
Locked World Lk -- -- -- -- -- -- Locked close satellite. Gravitational relationship.
Main World Mw -- -- -- -- -- -- Socioeconomic center of a system.
Satellite World Sa -- -- -- -- -- -- Satellite or moon. Gravitational relationship.
Twilight Zone World Tz -- -- -- -- -- -- Twilight Zone. Orbit 0-1. Gravitational relationship.

History & Background / Dossier

No information yet available.

  • A planetary-mass object (PMO), planemo, or planetary body.
  • Dwarf planet
  • Protoplanet
  • IAU definition of planet (Solomani)
  • Small Solar System Body (SSSB) [Minor planet]

Physical Planetology

This planetary grouping organizes by physical characteristics:

  1. Asteroid Belt World
  2. Big World
  3. Cold World
  4. Desert World
  5. Fluid World
  6. Frozen World
  7. Garden World
  8. Hell World
  9. Hospitable World
  10. Hot World
  11. Ice World
  12. Inferno World
  13. Inner World
  14. Inhospitable World
  15. Locked World
  16. Meso World
  17. Ocean World
  18. Outer World
  19. Panthallasic World
  20. Planetoid Belt World
  21. Rad World
  22. Small World
  23. Storm World
  24. Temperate World
  25. Tiny World
  26. Tropical World
  27. Tundra World
  28. Twilight Zone World
  29. Vacuum World
  30. Water World
  31. Worldlet

Socioeconomic Planetology

This planetary grouping organizes by socioeconomic characteristics:

  1. Agricultural World Series (Foodstuffs)
    1. Agricultural World
    2. Farming World
    3. Nonagricultural World
    4. Preagricultural World
  2. Industrial World Series (Manufacturing)
    1. Industrial World
    2. Mining World
    3. Nonindustrial World
    4. Preindustrial World
  3. Socioeconomic World Series (Wealth)
    1. Main World
    2. Golden World
    3. Nexus World
    4. Poor World
    5. Rich World
    6. Satellite World
    7. Silver World

Bioplanetological Sciences

This planetary grouping organizes by bioplanetological (life-bearing) characteristics:

  1. Barren World
  2. Die Back World
  3. Garden World
  4. Home World
  5. Hospitable World
  6. Inhospitable World
  7. Reserve World
Bioplanetological Sciences
Science Actor Remarks
Exobiology Exobiologist The study of creatures, pre-sophonts, or lower intelligent lifeforms.
  • In a greater sense applies to all life, but is usually applied this way.
Sophontology Sophontologist The study of sophonts or intelligent lifeforms. Includes Proto-sophonts
Terraforming Terraformer A planetary engineering process which, over many years, converts a hostile world (Inhospitable World) into a livable one (Hospitable World).

Planet vs. World

What are the technical differences between the terms planet and world? In common usage, they are used interchangeably, but how do IISS scouts use the terms?

Planet vs. World
Term Remarks
Planet Denotes an astronomic and astrographic meaning and applies to all of the bodies in a system.
World Denotes a socioeconomic and sophontilogical meaning and mostly applies to those bodies with sophont populations, usually main worlds or satellite worlds.

References & Contributors / Sources

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