Planets, Stars, and Other Celestial Objects (Fictional and Non-Fictional) Part VII (M-Z)

Submitted by Oedipus on Wed, 08/17/2005 - 02:05
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  1. Magrathea is a planet whose inhabitants built customized planets (using matter excreted from white holes) for tremendous amounts of money, making Magrathea one of the wealthiest planets in the galaxy. But when the great galactic stock market crash occurred, the Magratheans went into hibernation awaiting the recovery of the economy to the point where their services could once again be afforded. They were later awoken by pan-dimensional beings who had a special order for them; they commissioned the construction of a planet-sized computer named Earth to determine the ultimate question of Life, the Universe, and Everything, which is required to understand the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. Magrathea orbits the twin stars of Soulianis and Rahm in the Horsehead Nebula. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  2. Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system. It is named after Mars, the god of war in Roman mythology (the counterpart to Ares, the god of war in Greek mythology) because of its red color as viewed in the night sky. This feature also earned it the name of "the Red Planet." Mars has two moons (Phobos and Deimos) which are both small and oddly-shaped, possibly being captured asteroids. The prefix areo- refers to Mars. The Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures refer to the planet as the Fire Star, based on the Five Elements.
  3. Melmac The home planet of Gordon Shumway, known on Earth as ALF. ALF [TV-Series 1986-1990]
  4. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System. Mercury ranges from ?0.4 to 5.5 in apparent magnitude; Mercury is sufficiently "close" to the Sun that telescopes rarely examine it (the greatest elongation is 28.3°). Mercury has no natural satellites. The only spacecraft to approach Mercury was Mariner 10 (1974–75); only 40–45% of the planet has been mapped. The Chinese, Korean and Japanese cultures refer to the planet as the Water Star, based on the Five Elements. The adjectival form of the name is Mercurian.
  5. Meridian Sector Sector containing the planet Ampliquen. Star Wars.
  6. The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek Galaxia Kuklos) is the galaxy in which the Earth is found. When viewed from the Earth and its environs, it appears in the night sky as a hazy band of white light (hence "milky") across the celestial sphere, formed by stars within the disc of its namesake galaxy. It is also simply known as the Galaxy, as the Earth's solar system is a part of it. The Milky Way appears brightest in the direction of Sagittarius, where the galactic center lies. Peoples in Eastern Asia believed that the hazy band of stars was the "Silvery River" of Heaven. Also, the stars Altair and Vega were said to be two lovers, who were allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month, when a flock of magpies and crows formed a bridge over the galactic river.
  7. Minbar is a fictional planet, the homeworld of the Minbari race in the television series Babylon 5. The planet and race were named (by Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski) after the Islamic pulpit known as a minbar. Minbar is located in the Chi Draconis A star system - a binary star system. It is the seventh planet in orbit around the local suns. The system is just over 25 light years from Earth. Like Earth, Minbar has an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. The polar caps are larger than those on Earth, the northern cap covers 23% of the planet's surface. On the whole, Minbar's climate is colder than that of Earth. The planet is noted for vast crystalline structures, many cities are carved directly from crystal. Minbar's year is about 1.5 Earth years. Its day is shorter than Earth's, being 20 hours and 47 minutes. It has two moons. The population of the planet is about 4 billion, and the capital city is located at Yedor. Babylon 5
  8. Moddell sector is on the outskirts of known space. Bakura is a small, pastoral planet just outside the Moddell sector. Star Wars
  9. Mongo is the fictional planet where the action of the comic strip (and later movie serials) of Flash Gordon is located. Part of the planet is covered by the forest realm of Arboria, another by caverns and mountains, and part is the frozen kingdom of Frigia. Mongo is inhabited by a number of different cultures, some quite technologically advanced, that have been falling one by one under the domination of the vicious tyrant Ming the Merciless, including the Lion Men, the Hawk Men and the Blue Magic Men. The planet's history is somewhat like Earth's history. The planet had wars and kings like most countries. The world is ruled by a dictator named Ming the Merciless who makes the planet a terrible place to be. Flash Gordon
  10. Narn is the homeworld of the Narn and the Narn Regime. This world was once a great forested world before the first Centauri occupation destroyed the environment when the Centauri stripped Narn of its natural resources. Today Narn is a desolate desert world. Babylon 5
  11. Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun and the outermost gas giant in our solar system. It is fourth largest by diameter and third largest by mass, but it is the smallest of the gas giants. Due to Pluto's eccentric orbit, Neptune is sometimes the furthest planet from the Sun. Neptune is the smallest of the four gas giants. It is slightly smaller than Uranus, but more massive. Neptune is named after the Roman god of the sea. Discovered on September 23, 1846, Neptune has been visited by only one spacecraft, Voyager 2, which flew by the planet on August 25, 1989.
  12. New Betel Presumably somewhere in the Betelgeuse system. Café Lou is a dive bar in Gretchen Town, New Betel. There are rentable rooms on the floors above the bar. Ford Prefect spent many nights in one those rooms talking and drinking with Hotblack Desiato, who was often writing songs for his ajuitar in the neighbouring room. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  13. New Krypton In his first encounter with Brainiac, Superman discovered the city of Kandor preserved in a bottle. He rescued it and took it to Earth with him, vowing to someday discover a way to return the city to normal size. In the early 1980s Kandor was enlarged, and its inhabitants left Earth to settle on a new planet which was named New Krypton. Superman
  14. North West ripple of the Galaxy Relative to life on NowWhat, living on an affluent world in the North West ripple of the Galaxy is said to be easier by a factor of about seventeen million. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  15. NowWhat The planet NowWhat is physically largely the same as Earth, in that it has the same continents, location in space/time, etc. The difference is its location along an axis of probability. It is a fairly depressing place. The main town is called OhWell. The only major animal to survive (the others all having died of despair) is the NowWhattian boghog, whose only method of communication is biting very hard on the thigh. Mostly Harmless describes it thus: The main trade that was carried out was in the skins of the NowWhattian boghog but it wasn't a very successful one because no one in their right minds would want to buy a NowWhattian boghog skin. The trade only hung on by its fingernails because there was always a significant number of people in the Galaxy who were not in their right minds. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  16. Olea The moon. The Pearl of Great Price [Abraham 3:13]
  17. Orion Beta is a star system noted for its madranite mining belts. At a hyperspace port serving the mining belts Ford Prefect learned to play a drinking game similar to that of Earth's "Indian wrestling."
  18. Orus Sector is located along a popular freighter traffic route. Contains the planet Chazwa Star Wars
  19. Palmira The only moon of Leonida in The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers.
  20. Pandora is a planetwide holiday resort. It is mostly covered with jungle swarming with dangerous alien fauna (like crayfish-spiders or tahorgs) young people just love to hunt. Every year dozens of people are killed or seriously injured on Pandora despite countless safety measures by Earth's government. No local sentient species registered. Pandora is apparently located in a system with two suns.Maxim Kammerer visited Pandora on at least one occasion before his fateful trip to Saraksh. Discovered before 2119 AD (exact date unknown). The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers.
  21. Pansel system Star system containing the planet Poghril. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  22. Pant is a planet endangered by a global catastrophe - an explosion of its own sun as a part of standart stellar evolution. Unfortunately, there were sentient species identical to humans on the planet and so they had to be deported from it (Ark Project) to another one. The first choice was Ark but since the discovery of a sentient alien race there, progressors have apparently changed their mind.Discovered approx. in 2161 AD. The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers.
  23. Phobos A Satellite of Mars. The larger of Mars' two moons
  24. Planet of the Apes A distant planet ruled by apes who use a primitive race of humans for experimentation and sport. Or Earth in an alternate universe where Apes rule and humans are slaves.
  25. Pluto is the ninth planet from the Sun. Discovered in 1930, Pluto is the smallest planet in our solar system and has a highly eccentric orbit which is highly inclined in respect to the other planets, and takes it inside the orbit of Neptune. It has one moon, Charon. Due to its size and unusual orbit, there has been debate regarding whether Pluto should be classified as a planet. As of July 31, 2005, at least one other trans-Neptunian object (2003 UB313) has been found that is larger. The International Astronomical Union currently considers Pluto a planet. Pluto was discovered by the astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona on February 18, 1930 when he compared photographic plates taken on January 23 and 29. After the observatory obtained confirming photographs, the news of the discovery was telegraphed to the Harvard College Observatory on March 13, 1930. The planet was later found on photographs dating back to March 19, 1915. Tombaugh was searching for a "Planet X" to explain discrepancies in the predicted orbit of Neptune. It is now known these discrepancies were an artifact of the slightly incorrect value then known for the mass of Neptune.
  26. Poghril Located in the Pansel system, Poghril was once inhabited by a primitive tribe of humanoids. In a very strange occurrence, two hundred and thirty-nine thousand lightly fried eggs fell out of a tear in space-time, forming in a large heap on the planet. The whole Poghril tribe had died out from famine except for one last man who died of cholesterol poisoning some weeks later. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  27. Preliumtarn Beyond what used to be known as the Limitless Lightfields of Flanux until the Grey Binding Fiefdoms of Saxaquine were discovered lying beyond them are the Grey Binding Fiefdoms of Saxaquine. Within the Grey Binding Fiefdoms of Saxaquine lies the star named Zarss, around which orbits the planet Preliumtarn. On the planet Preliumtarn is the land of Sevorbeupstry, in which is Great Red Plain of Rars, bounded on the South side by the Quentulus Quazgar Mountains on the further side. According to the dying words of Prak, written here in thirty foot high letters of fire is God's final message to his creation. In So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish, Arthur and Fenchurch journey here, and do indeed see the Message. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  28. Pyria system System containing the planet Borleias. Star Wars.
  29. Rahm One of the twin stars orbitted by Magrathea. In the Horsehead Nebula. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  30. Rainbow A planet in The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers
  31. Rigel Home planet of Tan Porus. A Planet mentioned in Homo Sol by Isaac Asimov.
  32. Rigel IV A Planet mentioned in Time Pussy by Isaac Asimov. Home to four-dimensional cat like creatures. Home Planet of Kodos & Kang. The Simpsons
  33. Ruzhena is an Earth-like planet in BK-71016 system. Valentin Petrov, the leader of the expedition that discovered it, named the planet after his wife, Ruzhena Naskova, but the planet wasn't really hospitable two members of the spaceship crew perished on it and Petrov himself lost an arm. The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers. Ruzhena is described in a book that's been never translated in English and contains only a vague connection to the Noon Universe.
  34. Salusa Secundus prison planet and training ground of the Padishah Emperors' Sardaukar. Dune by Frank Herbert
  35. Santraginus V is a planet known widely for its marble-sanded beaches. Seawater from the oceans adjoining those beaches forms a key ingredient for the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  36. Saquo-Pilia Hensha is the planet that the Vogons move the headquarters of the Guide to after InfiniDim Enterprises bought it out. One of Saquo-Pilia Hensha's most reknowned holidays is Assumption of St. Antwelm. Because King Antwelm assumed everybody wanted to be happy, enjoy themselves, and have the best possible time together, on his death he willed his entire personal fortune to financing an annual festival to remind everyone. Features of this holiday include an annual feast, dancing, and silly games such as Hunt the Wocket. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  37. Saraksh A planet in The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers
  38. Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is a gas giant, the second-largest planet in the solar system after Jupiter. Saturn has large rings consisting of mostly ice particles with a smaller amount of rocky debris. It was named after the Roman god Saturn. The Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures refer to the planet as the Earth Star, based on the Five Elements.
  39. Saula A planet in The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers
  40. Sesefras Magna is an orange gas giant with a blue moon known as Epun. The space near the planet is home to space station Port Sesefron, a docking place for Xaxisian battleships and other spacecraft visiting the star system of Zondostina (known to human astronomers as Pleiades Zeta.) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  41. Shinehah The sun. The Pearl of Great Price [Abraham 313]
  42. Sluis sector Sector containing the planet Bpfassh. Star Wars.
  43. Sol A solar System mentioned in Homo Sol by Isaac Asimov.
  44. Soulianis One of the twin stars orbitted by Magrathea. In the Horsehead Nebula. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  45. Spaceball A fictional planet in the movie Spaceballs. Planet Spaceball has foolishly wasted all of its air and is desperate to find more. President Skroob and his top military leader, Dark Helmet (along with his aide Colonel Sandurz), devise a plan to kidnap Princess Vespa and extort Planet Druidia into giving all of its air to the Spaceballs. If they do not comply, they will reverse Vespa's cosmetic surgery, thus restoring her hooked nose.
  46. Squornshellous Zeta Dimly illuminated and very very swamp-intensive, Squornshellous Zeta is the source of almost all the Galaxy's mattresses. Said mattresses (all of which are called Zem) spend most of their time flolloping, globbering, volluing, and vooning. Said activities make the planet a favourite destination of etymologists. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  47. Stavromula Beta In Life, the Universe and Everything, Arthur Dent is told by Agrajag, that he (Agrajag) was killed yet again when Arthur visits this planet and someone attempts to assassinate him (Arthur). However, Agrajag discovers that Arthur hadn't been there yet, and despite the time paradox that would be created, Agrajag decides to attempt to kill Arthur anyway. When this fails, Arthur forms the opinion that "logically, he could not die until he had been to Stavromula Beta" (Mostly Harmless, US edition, pg. 106). By the end of Mostly Harmless, many of the major characters discover themselves in a club called "Stavro Mueller Beta" (being the second club owned by a character named Stavro Mueller). An attempt is made on Arthur's life, Arthur realizes that Agrajag meant this club, not a planet, and the Vogons, with the help of their new guide, finally destroy all parallel versions of the Earth. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  48. Tagora is the homeplanet of Tagorians, a lizard-like alien race, the first one Earth's ever contacted with. It is mentioned in An Attempt to Escape that there is a human resident (or spy) on Tagora whose name is presumably Benny Durov and he is a progressor working under cover to study Tagorian technology. Discovered in the end of XXI century although a full scaled contact was established in 2122 AD. The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers.
  49. Tissa is a planet in EN-63061 system. It is famous mostly for an incident which happened shortly after a FSG expedition discovered it. For some reason the members of the group couldn't establish a radio connection to any human world or spaceship except for their own mothership on the orbit of Tissa, and its computers kept telling them that Earth and all other human settlements were destroyed by global catastrophes and that they are the only remaining humans in the Universe. After the group was rescued psychologists decided that this was a case of temporary madness or a mass suggestion. Tissa is only mentioned in The Time Wanderers. Discovered in 2193 AD. The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers.
  50. Uranus (pronounced "y?r-AYN-us", or "YOOR-?-nus") is the seventh planet from the Sun. It is a gas giant, the third largest by diameter and fourth largest by mass. It is named after Ouranos, the Greek god of the sky, and progenitor of the other gods.
  51. Urectum In the animated series Futurama, in 2620 the name of Uranus was changed to Urectum to get rid of "That Stupid Joke" once and for all. Futurama
  52. Urras A fictional planet in The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin.
  53. Ursa Minor Beta The rich and sunny planet Ursa Minor Beta has the quite peculiar property that most of its surface consists of subtropic coastline. Even more peculiar, on this world it's always Saturday afternoon. Light City, the only city on Ursa Minor Beta, which can only be reached by plane, is the very place where the editorial offices of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" reside. A further anomoly in Light City is that the Lalamatine district, just behind the beach, is the only place on the planet not to enjoy a perpetual Saturday afternoon. Instead it is always early evening, with cooling breezes - this is where the nightclubs are located. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  54. Vega Home planet of Frian Obel. Home of the green-skinned men. A Planet mentioned in Homo Sol by Isaac Asimov.
  55. Venus is the second planet from the Sun, named after the Roman goddess Venus. A terrestrial planet, it is sometimes called Earth's "sister planet", as the two are very similar in size and bulk composition. Although all planets' orbits are elliptical, Venus's orbit is the closest to circular, with an eccentricity of less than 1%. The adjective Venusian is commonly used for Venus, but it is etymologically incorrect. The true adjective coming from Latin, Venereal, is avoided because of its modern association with sexually transmitted diseases. Some astronomers use Cytherean, which comes from Cythera. Other less common adjectives include Venerean and Veneran. The Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures refer to the planet as the Metal Star, based on the Five Elements.
  56. Viltvodle VI is the home world of the small, blue, fifty-armed Jatravartids, who live in perpetual fear of what they refer to as "The Coming of the Great White Handkerchief." This is their cosmology's version of the end of the Universe, and can be explained by the fact that they believe that the Universe was sneezed out by a creature called the Great Green Arkleseizure. Other Galactic religions have sent missionaries to Viltvodle VI to attempt to convert the Jatravartids to whichever religion the specific missionary in question happens to be a follower of. The most notable of these missionaries is Humma Kavula (although in the movie, he seems to be preaching the Jatravartids' religion.) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  57. Vladislava is the first planet (apart from Mars) where Wanderers' traces were found (artificial satellites and an abandoned city). Apart from that the planet is known for its extremely turbulent atmosphere conquered only by famous Leonid Gorbovsky. Despite that there is some protein life on the planet although no sentient one. Vladislava is located in EN-17 solar system. Discovered in 2121 AD. The Noon Universe novels by Strugatsky brothers.
  58. Vlhan Home planet of the 'alien whipdancers known as Marionettes' from The Funeral March of the Marionettes and The Tangled Strings of the Marionettes by Adam-Troy Castro
  59. Vogsphere This is the homeworld of the Vogons. In the books it is said to be long-abandoned, although in the movie it still seems to be a thriving administrative centre. According to the movie, anyone standing on Vogsphere must be careful not to think, because the planet is infested with shovel-like creatures which leap up out of the ground and hit you in the face if you do so. These creatures, parasites which prey on free thought and punish original ideas, were conceived by Adams and apparently represent the physical embodiment of bureaucracy. It is also home to the indigenous jewel-encrusted crabs and silky-coated deer-like creatures that the Vogons take such delight in tormenting and abusing. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  60. Yayla is an even harsher and more dangerous version of Pandora. Infamous for its monstrous fauna (e.g. Yayla Dragon, presumably, a reptile with an enormous regeneration potential) and its impenetrable jungle and swamps it is considered by many to be just another planet-wide resort, but generally only the toughest and most experienced hunters dare to visit Yayla.
  61. Zarss Beyond what used to be known as the Limitless Lightfields of Flanux until the Grey Binding Fiefdoms of Saxaquine were discovered lying beyond them are the Grey Binding Fiefdoms of Saxaquine. Within the Grey Binding Fiefdoms of Saxaquine lies the star named Zarss, around which orbits the planet Preliumtarn. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  62. Zentalquabula is noted for its ancient alabastrum quarries. Large slabs of lustrous stone cut from these quarries were used to pave a terraced plaza between the towers of The Hitchhiker's Guide offices. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  63. Zog Planet where spaceman Spiff (Calvin) makes a (very rare) perfect 3 point landing. Calvin and Hobbes
  64. Zok Planet where spaceman Spiff (Calvin) is marooned. Calvin and Hobbes
  65. Zokk Planet where spaceman Spiff (Calvin) bounds across the landscape given the low gravity. Calvin and Hobbes
  66. Zorg Planet where spaceman Spiff (Calvin) sets his gun on deep-fat fry to blast aliens. Calvin and Hobbes
  67. Zug System System containing the planet Aargau. Star Wars.
Author Comments: 

I still have a lot to add from the Star Wars universe, the Star Trek universe as well as many other fictional universes.

This is a work in progress that will take awhile and it is safe to say that this will never be a complete list.

References:

The Star Trek Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to the Future by Michael Okuda, Denise Okuda, Debbie Mirek
The Essential Guide to Alien Species (Star Wars) by Ann Margaret Lewis, R. K. Post
The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons (Star Wars) by Daniel Wallace, Brandon McKinney, Scott Kolins
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia

Cloned From: 
Planets, Stars, and Other Celestial Objects (Fictional and Non-Fictional) Part VI (H-L)