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The
planetary system A planetary system is a set of gravitationally In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interacti ...
s of
star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
s other than the
Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
and the
Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...
are a staple element in many works of the
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
genre.


Overview

The notion that there might be inhabited
extrasolar planet An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first possible evidence of an exoplanet was noted in 1917 but was not recognized as such. The first confirmation of detection occurred in 1992. A different planet, init ...
s can be traced at least as far back as
Giordano Bruno Giordano Bruno (; ; la, Iordanus Brunus Nolanus; born Filippo Bruno, January or February 1548 – 17 February 1600) was an Italian philosopher, mathematician, poet, cosmological theorist, and Hermetic occultist. He is known for his cosmologic ...
who, in his '' De l'infinito, universo e mondi'' (''On the Infinite, Universe and Worlds'', 1584), declared that "There are then innumerable suns, and an infinite number of earths revolve around those suns, hese worlds are inhabitedif not exactly as our own, and if not more nobly, at least no less inhabited and no less nobly." Allusions to inhabitants of other stars' planetary systems remained rare in literature for some centuries thereafter. One of these is found in
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...
's ''
Micromégas ''Le Micromégas'' is a 1752 novella by the French philosopher and satirist Voltaire. Along with his story "Plato's Dream", it is an early example in the literary genre of science fiction and has its place in the development of the history of li ...
'' (1752), which features a traveller from
Sirius Sirius is the list of brightest stars, brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek language, Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinisation ...
. As
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
became established in the early 20th century, destinations such as
the Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the List of natural satellites, fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth ( ...
,
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
,
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
, and other bodies within the Solar System began to seem stale. Authors invoked a variety of mechanisms for
superluminal Faster-than-light (also FTL, superluminal or supercausal) travel and communication are the conjectural propagation of matter or information faster than the speed of light (). The special theory of relativity implies that only particles with zero ...
travel (or
generation starship A generation ship, or generation starship, is a hypothetical type of interstellar ark starship that travels at sub-light speed. Since such a ship might require hundreds to thousands of years to reach nearby stars, the original occupants of a gen ...
s) and placed their stories on worlds in
planetary system A planetary system is a set of gravitationally In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interacti ...
s around other stars, an innovation that gave them the freedom to construct exotic
fictional planets Planets in science fiction are fictional planets that appear in various media of the science fiction genre as story-settings or depicted locations. Planet lists For planets from specific fictional milieux, use the following lists: Literature ...
and themes. This tendency became predominant once the exploration of the Solar System was complete enough to conclusively demonstrate the unlikelihood of any highly developed form of
extraterrestrial life Extraterrestrial life, colloquially referred to as alien life, is life that may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been conclusively detected, although efforts are underway. Such life might ...
here, aside from
humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
on
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
. Although some of the stars named in works of science fiction are purely imaginary, many authors and artists have preferred to use the names of real stars that are well known to astronomers, and indeed the lay public, either because they are notably
bright Bright may refer to: Common meanings *Bright, an adjective meaning giving off or reflecting illumination; see Brightness *Bright, an adjective meaning someone with intelligence People * Bright (surname) * Bright (given name) *Bright, the stage na ...
in the sky or because they are relatively
close Close may refer to: Music * ''Close'' (Kim Wilde album), 1988 * ''Close'' (Marvin Sapp album), 2017 * ''Close'' (Sean Bonniwell album), 1969 * "Close" (Sub Focus song), 2014 * "Close" (Nick Jonas song), 2016 * "Close" (Rae Sremmurd song), 201 ...
to Earth.


Planetary romances

The multiple fictional genres that appear in the list below include films, television serials, interactive games, and print (among others). Of all these, the print medium, specifically novels and novellas, are of note because they are often
planetary romance Planetary romance is a subgenre of science fiction in which the bulk of the action consists of adventures on one or more exotic alien planets, characterized by distinctive physical and cultural backgrounds. Some planetary romances take place ag ...
s. Any science fiction tale whose primary venue is a planet and whose plot turns on the nature of the planet can be described as a planetary romance. It is not enough that the story simply be set on a world. For example,
James Blish James Benjamin Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his ''Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel ''A Case of Conscienc ...
's ''
A Case of Conscience ''A Case of Conscience'' is a science fiction novel by American writer James Blish, first published in 1958. It is the story of a Jesuit who investigates an alien race that has no religion yet has a perfect, innate sense of morality, a situation ...
'' (1958) is set on the planet Lithia, but it is not a planetary romance because the nature or description of this world has little bearing on the story being told. And in the hard science fiction novels by
Hal Clement Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented artworks under ...
(see
61 Cygni 61 Cygni is a binary star system in the constellation Cygnus, consisting of a pair of K-type dwarf stars that orbit each other in a period of about 659 years. Of apparent magnitude 5.20 and 6.05, respectively, they can be seen ...
: ''A Mission of Gravity'' below) and
Robert L. Forward Robert Lull Forward (August 15, 1932 – September 21, 2002) was an American physicist and science fiction writer. His literary work was noted for its scientific credibility and use of ideas developed from his career as an aerospace engineer. He ...
(see
Barnard's Star Barnard's Star is a red dwarf about six light-years from Earth in the constellation of Ophiuchus. It is the fourth-nearest-known individual star to the Sun after the three components of the Alpha Centauri system, and the closest star in the ...
: ''Rocheworld'' below), the worlds on which they are set amount to little more than the sum of the physical and logical problems that they illustrate, and that their protagonists solve. In the true planetary romance, the world itself encompasses—and survives—the tale that temporarily illuminates it. One early practitioner of the planetary romance was
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
, as for example in his
Barsoom Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs. The first Barsoom tale was serialized as ''Under the Moons of Mars'' in 1912 and published as a novel as ''A Princess of Mars' ...
(Mars) series (1912–1943). However, as with most writers of his era, his settings did not extend beyond the Solar System, and so his work is not found in this article.


General uses of star names

* ''
The Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...
'' (''c.'' eighth century BC), epic poem attributed to
Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
. The Greek poet describes the final approach of the Greeks' shining warrior, Achilles, toward Troy by comparing him to the dazzling star
Sirius Sirius is the list of brightest stars, brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek language, Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinisation ...
. * ''
Oedipus Rex ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Gr ...
'' (''c.'' 429 BC), a play by
Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or co ...
. In Scene IV the Corinthian shepherd describes keeping his flocks alongside those of the Theban shepherd all during three distant summers, "from spring / Till rose
Arcturus , - bgcolor="#FFFAFA" , Note (category: variability): , , H and K emission vary. Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Boötes. With an apparent visual magnitude of −0.05, it is the third-brightest of th ...
". He is trying to stimulate the Theban's memory about their long acquaintance before a fateful event: the Theban's entrusting the infant Oedipus to him, to be raised in Corinth, rather than killing the child as instructed by King Laius of Thebes. * ''
Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' ( la, Metamorphōsēs, from grc, μεταμορφώσεις: "Transformations") is a Latin narrative poem from 8 CE by the Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the wo ...
'' (AD 8), Latin narrative poem by
Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...
. The Roman poet describes the apotheosis of the murdered Julius Caesar as
Caesar's Comet Caesar's Comet (also ''Sidus Iulium'' ("Julian Star"); ''Caesaris astrum'' ("Star of Caesar"); Comet Caesar; the Great Comet of 44 BC; numerical designation C/−43 K1) was a seven-day cometary outburst seen in July 44 BC. It was interpreted by ...
(C/-43 K1), possibly the brightest daylight comet in recorded history: "Kindly Venus, although seen by none, stood in the middle of the Senate-house, and caught from the dying limbs and trunk of her own Caesar his departing soul. She did not give it time so that it could dissolve in air, but bore it quickly up, toward all the stars of heaven; and on the way, she saw it gleam and blaze and set it free. Above the moon it mounted into heaven, leaving behind a long and fiery trail, and as a star it glittered in the sky." * ''
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
'' (1599), a play written by
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
. In Act III, Scene I, Cassius petitions Caesar to reverse a banishment, but Caesar proclaims his steadfastness, comparing himself to the star
Polaris Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
: "But I am constant as the northern star, / Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality / There is no fellow in the firmament." * "
Polaris Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
" (1920), short story by H. P. Lovecraft. The narrator experiences a series of increasingly substantial dreams about Olathoë, a city of marble lying on a plateau between two peaks, with the "malign presence" of
Polaris Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
ever watching in the night sky. At the end of the story, he is convinced that his waking life is not real but a dream from which he cannot awaken. * ''
Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...
'' (1934), novel by
P. L. Travers Pamela Lyndon Travers (; born Helen Lyndon Goff; 9 August 1899 – 23 April 1996) was an Australian-British writer who spent most of her career in England. She is best known for the ''Mary Poppins'' series of books, which feature the eponymous ...
. One of Mary Poppins' unusual acquaintances, a personified star Maia, arrives in London to do some Christmas shopping for the " other stars in the
Pleiades The Pleiades (), also known as The Seven Sisters, Messier 45 and other names by different cultures, is an asterism and an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus. At a distance of ...
". * '' Justine'' (1957), the first volume in
Lawrence Durrell Lawrence George Durrell (; 27 February 1912 – 7 November 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. He was the eldest brother of naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell. Born in India to British colonial pare ...
's
Alexandria Quartet ''The Alexandria Quartet'' is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the first three books present three perspectives on a single set of events and characters ...
of novels; its fourth paragraph describes the effect of
Arcturus , - bgcolor="#FFFAFA" , Note (category: variability): , , H and K emission vary. Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Boötes. With an apparent visual magnitude of −0.05, it is the third-brightest of th ...
, the brightest star in the Northern Celestial Hemisphere, on the narrator's somber ruminations. * ''
Clarissa Oakes ''Clarissa Oakes'' (titled ''The Truelove'' in the United States) is the fifteenth historical novel in the Aubrey-Maturin series by British author Patrick O'Brian, first published in 1992. The story is set during the Napoleonic Wars and the W ...
'' (1993), Aubrey–Maturin novel (titled ''The Truelove'' in the US) written by
Patrick O'Brian Patrick O'Brian, Order of the British Empire, CBE (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000), born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of sea novels set in the Royal Navy during t ...
. Jack Aubrey establishes his ship's longitude in the Pacific Ocean without the aid of a
marine chronometer A marine chronometer is a precision timepiece that is carried on a ship and employed in the determination of the ship's position by celestial navigation. It is used to determine longitude by comparing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or in the modern ...
by taking "two beautiful lunar istance (angle readings), the one on Mars, the other on
Fomalhaut Fomalhaut is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus, the "Southern Fish", and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Piscis Austrini, which is Latinized from ...
". * " Dream—The Heart of a Star", Chapter 3 of
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
's graphic novel '' The Sandman: Endless Nights'' (2003).
Mizar Mizar is a second-magnitude star in the handle of the Big Dipper asterism in the constellation of Ursa Major. It has the Bayer designation ζ Ursae Majoris ( Latinised as Zeta Ursae Majoris). It forms a well-known naked eye d ...
appears as a female of blue flame. She is the hostess of an assembly of various cosmic entities, and the creator of the palace where they meet. *
Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D game in the '' Super Mario'' series. As Mario, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, save the universe from Bowser, and collect 120 ...
features a black Luma with blue eyes named Polari (a reference to Polaris, the north star) who serves as an advisor to Rosalina and shows the observatory map to the player when talked to. *
Devil Survivor 2 ''Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2'' is a tactical role-playing game in the ''Megami Tensei'' series developed by Atlus for the Nintendo DS. It is a sequel to the 2009 Nintendo DS role-playing game '' Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor''. ...
features Polaris as a
boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...
. She acts as the Administrator of the Universe, and must be defeated in order to save the world.


List of planetary systems in fiction

Planetary systems (mostly hypothetical or imaginary) of real stars appearing in fiction are:


36 Ophiuchi

* ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' (1965) and other novels in the ''Dune'' universe by
Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
. 36 Ophiuchi B is orbited by the planet
Giedi Prime ''Dune'' is a 1965 Epic (genre), epic science fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert, originally published as two separate serials in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Analog'' magazine. It tied with Roger Zelazny's ''This Immortal'' f ...
, the homeworld of House Harkonnen. (For a perspective on the constellation Ophiuchus, the ophidian Harkonnens, and their use of the poisons ''chaumas'' and ''chaumurky'' compare Phi Ophiuchi: ''
The Palace of Love ''The Palace of Love'' (1967) is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance, the third in his ''Demon Princes'' series. It is about a wealthy man, Kirth Gersen, who is obsessed with seeking vengeance on the remaining Demon Princes wh ...
'' below.) * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. 36 Ophiuchi is a mining system whose population of mineworkers is concentrated on an earthlike moon in orbit around a
gas giant A gas giant is a giant planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Gas giants are also called failed stars because they contain the same basic elements as a star. Jupiter and Saturn are the gas giants of the Solar System. The term "gas giant" ...
. * '' Star Carrier: Deep Space'' (2013) by Ian Douglas. 36 Ophiuchi A is orbited by a proto-garden world dubbed Arianrhod where Earth has a research outpost. * At the beginning of the fourth episode of''
Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda ''Andromeda'' (formally titled ''Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda'') is a space opera television series, based on unused material by Gene Roddenberry, developed by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and produced by Roddenberry's widow, Majel Barrett. It starred ...
'', "Angel Dark, Demon Bright", Tyr Anasazi gives Trance Gemini a lesson in slipstream piloting, with Beka Valentine setting the destination for this system calling it a "quick stream from here".


40 (ο2) Eridani (Keid)

* ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' (1965) and other novels in the ''Dune'' universe by
Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
. "Eridani A" is orbited by the planet
Richese The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's or ...
(the fourth planet in orbit). Richese and Ix (''
q.v. } (right to left). , - , ''quo errat demonstrator'', , where the prover errs, , A pun on "quod erat demonstrandum" , - , ''quo fata ferunt'', , where the fates bear us to, , motto of Bermuda , - , ''quo non ascendam'' , , to what heights can I ...
'') are "supreme in machine culture"; their devices are commonplace and considered essential throughout the Dune universe, though they sometimes test the limits of the anti-technology proscriptions of the Butlerian Jihad. * ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' (started in 1966). Film, television, and print franchise originated by
Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...
. The planet
Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...
, homeworld of the
Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...
species, orbits 40 Eridani A. The authorized ''Star Trek'' book ''Star Trek: Star Charts'' and Roddenberry himself give this location. In addition, Commander Tucker's statement in the ''
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'' episode "
Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...
", that Vulcan is "a little over" 16 light years from Earth supports this location, as 40 Eridani A is 16.39 light-years from our own
Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...
. The planet's location is confirmed by a map shown in the '' Star Trek: Discovery'' episode "
Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad The first season of the American television series '' Star Trek: Discovery'' is set a decade before the events of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' and follows the crew of the USS ''Discovery'' during the Federation–Klingon war. The season wa ...
". * In ''
2300 AD ''2300 AD'', originally titled ''Traveller: 2300'', is a tabletop science fiction role-playing game created by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) and first published in 1986. Publication history GDW created the popular science fiction role-playing ...
'' (1986), role-playing game designed by the
Game Designers' Workshop Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers. History Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding m ...
, Montana (Spanish: Montaña), a habitable garden world, is the second planet of ο2 Eridani. * '' Silicon Dreams trilogy'' (1986), interactive fiction games published by
Firebird Firebird and fire bird may refer to: Mythical birds * Phoenix (mythology), sacred firebird found in the mythologies of many cultures * Bennu, Egyptian firebird * Huma bird, Persian firebird * Firebird (Slavic folklore) Bird species ''Various sp ...
in the US and Rainbird in Europe. The first installment takes place within the system, as the colony ship ''Snowball 9'' is on a collision course with one of the suns, possibly 40 Eridani A. The other two installments take place on the fictional planet Eden, also located in this star system. * In the ''Star Carrier'' series of novels by
William H. Keith, Jr. William H. Keith (born August 8, 1950) is an American author mainly contributing to military science fiction and military fiction and related game design, who writes also under several pen names, such as Ian Douglas, Robert Cain and H. Jay R ...
(under the pseudonym Ian Douglas), one of the planets in the 40 Eridani A system is a habitable world named Vulcan. * In the Stars of Eridani, by Matthew Moran, one of the planets in 40 Eridani A is the destination of the first human colony outside of the Sol system. The novel follows the ill-fated colonists and the inter-generational ship that brings them to the star system. * '' Project Hail Mary'', by
Andy Weir Andrew Taylor Weir (born June 16, 1972) is an American novelist and former computer programmer. His 2011 novel '' The Martian'' was adapted into the 2015 film of the same name directed by Ridley Scott. He received the John W. Campbell Award for ...
, describes a spider-like, rock-covered alien species that originate from a hot, fast-orbiting, massive rocky planet in orbit around 40 Eridani. This fictional planet, called Erid in the novel, shares many of these properties with the real
super-Earth A super-Earth is an extrasolar planet with a mass higher than Earth's, but substantially below those of the Solar System's ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, which are 14.5 and 17 times Earth's, respectively. The term "super-Earth" refers only to ...
40 Eridani A b detected in 2018, and the author has confirmed that his development of the alien character began with the biological implications of the known traits of the real exoplanet. * In the Bobiverse series of novels by
Dennis E. Taylor Dennis E. Taylor is a Canadians, Canadian novelist and former programmer, computer programmer known for his large scale hard science fiction stories exploring the interaction between artificial intelligence and the human condition. Wr ...
40 Eridani is a habitable system discovered by one of the Von Neuman
Self-replicating spacecraft The concept of Self-replicating spacecraft, as envisioned by mathematician John von Neumann, has been described by futurists including physicist Michio Kaku and discussed across a wide breadth of hard science fiction novels and stories. Self-rep ...
.


47 Ursae Majoris 47 Ursae Majoris (abbreviated 47 UMa), formally named Chalawan , is a yellow dwarf star approximately 46 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Ursa Major. , three extrasolar planets (designated 47 Ursae Majoris b, c and d; t ...
(Chalawan)

* ''
Coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...
'' (2002), trilogy by
Allen Steele Allen Mulherin Steele, Jr. (born January 19, 1958) is an American journalist and science fiction author. Background Steele was born in Nashville, Tennessee on January 19, 1958. He was introduced to science fiction fandom attending meetings o ...
. Much of the action of the series takes place on Coyote, a fictional
habitable Habitability refers to the adequacy of an environment for human living. Where housing is concerned, there are generally local ordinances which define habitability. If a residence complies with those laws it is said to be habitable. In extreme e ...
moon of
47 Ursae Majoris b 47 Ursae Majoris b (abbreviated 47 UMa b), formally named Taphao Thong , is a gas planet and an extrasolar planet approximately 46 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Ursa Major. The planet was discovered located in a long-period or ...
, a planet given the name Bear. Altogether, Bear has six fictional satellites—Dog, Hawk, Eagle, Coyote, Snake and Goat—although only Coyote is habitable.
47 Ursae Majoris c 47 Ursae Majoris c (abbreviated 47 UMa c), formally named Taphao Kaew , is an extrasolar planet approximately 46 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Ursa Major. The planet was discovered located in a long-period around the star 47 Urs ...
is known as Wolf, and there are two fictional
terrestrial planet A terrestrial planet, telluric planet, or rocky planet, is a planet that is composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals. Within the Solar System, the terrestrial planets accepted by the IAU are the inner planets closest to the Sun: Mercury, Ve ...
s, Fox and Raven, which orbit inward from Bear and Wolf. * ''
Old Man's War ''Old Man's War'' is a military science fiction novel by American writer John Scalzi, published in 2005. His debut novel was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2006. ''Old Man's War'' is the first novel in Scalzi's ''Old Man's ...
'' (2005), by
John Scalzi John Michael Scalzi II (born May 10, 1969) is an American science fiction author and former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his ''Old Man's War'' series, three novels of which have been nom ...
. One of the warzones that the main character, John Perry, is deployed to is Colony 622, a fictional terrestrial planet in the 47 Ursae Majoris system. The inhabitants of Colony 622 were found to have been wiped out by an indigenous alien species, which resembled a terrestrial slime mold. *''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' (2005), by
Robert Charles Wilson Robert Charles Wilson (born December 15, 1953 ) is an American-Canadian science fiction author. Career Wilson was born in the United States in California, but grew up near Toronto, Ontario. Apart from another short period in the early 1970s ...
. Jason briefly mentions it as the nearest star system with another "optically blank planet", a planet with a "spin membrane", orbiting it in roughly a habitable zone.


58 Eridani

* 58 Eridani features as a colonized system known as Bollam's World in
M. D. Cooper ( ; ; pl. ; ; 1512, from Middle French , literally "my lord") is an honorific title that was used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It has now become the customary French title of resp ...
's Aeon 14 series. The colony ship ''Intrepid'' ends up in the system after encountering the phenomenon known as Kaptyen's Streamer. * The star is a key element in the short story "
Omphalos An omphalos is a religious stone artifact, or baetylus. In Ancient Greek, the word () means "navel". Among the Ancient Greeks, it was a widespread belief that Delphi was the center of the world. According to the myths regarding the founding of ...
" by American author
Ted Chiang Ted Chiang (born 1967) is an American science fiction writer. His work has won four Nebula awards, four Hugo awards, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and six Locus awards. His short story "Story of Your Life" was the basis of the ...
.


61 Cygni 61 Cygni is a binary star system in the constellation Cygnus, consisting of a pair of K-type dwarf stars that orbit each other in a period of about 659 years. Of apparent magnitude 5.20 and 6.05, respectively, they can be seen ...

* ''
Foundation series The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories in 1942–50, and subsequently in three collections in 1951–53, for thirty years the series was a ...
'' (1951–1993), novels by
Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
. The star system 61 Cygni, in the Sirius Sector, is advanced by Lord Dorwin as a potential site for the planet of origin of the human species. * ''Time and Again'' (1951), novel by
Clifford D. Simak Clifford Donald Simak (; August 3, 1904 – April 25, 1988) was an American science fiction writer. He won three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its third SFWA Grand Master, and the Horror Wr ...
. 61 Cygni is a mysterious system whose planets are impossible to approach. * ''
Mission of Gravity ''Mission of Gravity'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Hal Clement. The novel was serialized in '' Astounding Science Fiction'' magazine in April–July 1953. Its first hardcover book publication was in 1954, and it was first publis ...
'' (1953), novel by
Hal Clement Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented artworks under ...
. The binary 61 Cygni star system is home to the supermassive planet
Mesklin Mesklin is a fictional supergiant planet created by Hal Clement and used in a number of his hard science fiction stories. It is distinctive for the interaction of its strong gravity with the centrifugal force due to its fast rotation, originating ...
, which rotates rapidly and is highly oblate, with a gravity of 3 ''g'' at the equator and 700 ''g'' at the poles. A human explorer lands at the equator and engages a crew of the intelligent, centipede-like Mesklinites to retrieve vital information from a space probe that has malfunctioned after landing at one of the poles. Although the 61 Cygni binary is known to be the home system of Mesklin, and is often seen in the sky, it is never actually named in the book: 61 Cygni A is always called simply "the sun", while 61 Cygni B, fainter by a full apparent magnitude, bears the Mesklinite name Esstes. * '' Andromeda: A Space Age Tale'' (1959), novel by
Ivan Yefremov Ivan Antonovich (real patronymic Antipovich) Yefremov ( ru , Ива́н Анто́нович (Анти́пович) Ефре́мов; April 23, 1908 – October 5, 1972; last name sometimes transliterated as Efremov) was a Soviet paleonto ...
. The Earth of the far future is a communist utopia, nonetheless able to send no more than a few infrequent space ships to the nearest star systems, since interstellar travel is limited by the speed of light. One of these near neighbors is 61 Cygni, which has a planet and is also the 16th-closest star to the Sun. Longer range scientific and cultural communication between the great galactic civilizations is maintained by the enormously expensive radio links of the ''Great Circle''. 61 Cygni, under Director of External Relations Zaph Phthet, is the Earth's main correspondent in this hierarchy of contacts. * ''
Danny Dunn and the Voice from Space ''Danny Dunn and the Voice from Space'' is the tenth novel in the ''Danny Dunn'' series of juvenile science fiction/adventure books written by Raymond Abrashkin and Jay Williams. The book was first published in 1967. Plot introduction Professo ...
'' (1967), children's book written by
Raymond Abrashkin Raymond Abrashkin (March 9, 1911 – August 25, 1960) was an American writer and filmmaker. He is known for writing, co-producing, and co-directing '' Little Fugitive'' and for co-creating and co-writing with Jay Williams the ''Danny Dunn'' ser ...
and Jay Williams. A modulated radio signal coming from 61 Cygni turns out to be an encoded pictogram sent by extraterrestrials. * '' Star Fleet Technical Manual'' (1975), fiction reference book by Franz Joseph Schnaubelt. The technical manual depicts the flag and seal of the "United Planets of 61 Cygni", which is identified by secondary ''Star Trek'' materials as the location of Tellar, home of the
Tellarite ''Star Trek'' is a science fiction media franchise that began with Gene Roddenberry's launch of the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' television series in 1966. Its success led to decades of films, novels, comics, and spinof ...
species. * '' A Little Knowledge'' (1977), by Michael Bishop. The Cygnostiks from a planet orbiting 61 Cygni are bipedal beings who come to Earth and cause great social upheaval when one of them converts to the state religion. Cygnostiks have two eyes, each with two pupils; one sensitive to the spectrum of the star 61 Cygni A, the other sensitive to the spectrum of its companion 61 Cygni B. (For a depiction of the species see
Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials ''Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials'' (1979; second edition 1987) is a science fiction book by artist Wayne Barlowe, with Ian Summers and Beth Meacham (who provided the text). It contains Barlowe's visualizations of different extraterrestrial ...
) * ''
The Jupiter Theft ''The Jupiter Theft'' is a 1977 science fiction novel by American writer Donald Moffitt, re-printed in 2003 with a new afterword. Plot summary The initial part of the novel mixes near-future thriller and disaster novel scenarios that focusses ...
'' (1977), by
Donald Moffitt Donald Moffitt (July 20, 1931December 10, 2014) was an American author who wrote a number of science fiction novels. Most famous among these are ''The Genesis Quest'' and '' Second Genesis''. While he was the author of many titles under his own ...
. The Cygnans, originally from
Cygnus X-1 Cygnus X-1 (abbreviated Cyg X-1) is a galactic X-ray source in the constellation Cygnus and was the first such source widely accepted to be a black hole. It was discovered in 1964 during a rocket flight and is one of the ...
, stole a very large gas giant from the 61 Cygni system (such an object was believed to actually exist at the time of writing) and used it as propulsion to reach the Solar System. 61 Cygni also hosts the home planet of a species of pink, monkey-like intelligent aliens, some of which the Cygnans abducted as zoo exhibits. * '' Traveller'' (1977–present), suite of role-playing games designed by the
Game Designers' Workshop Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers. History Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding m ...
. 61 Cygni is the home star of Nusku, a major colony world of strategic importance during the interstellar wars of the 22nd century. * "
Tricentennial An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saint ...
" (1977),
Hugo award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...
-winning short story by
Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including ''The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), have wo ...
. A radio message from 61 Cygni compels scientists to head for the star system on board the ''Daedalus'', a nuclear fusion-propelled spaceship. See also:
Project Daedalus Project Daedalus (named after Daedalus, the Greek mythological designer who crafted wings for human flight) was a study conducted between 1973 and 1978 by the British Interplanetary Society to design a plausible uncrewed interstellar probe.Proj ...
, a British study of interstellar spacecraft design. * ''
Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ...
'' (1978–1981), television program created by
Terry Nation Terence Joseph Nation (8 August 19309 March 1997) was a British screenwriter and novelist. Especially known for his work in British television science fiction, he created the Daleks and Davros for ''Doctor Who'', as well as the series '' Survivo ...
. The region around 61 Cygni, known as the Darkling Zone, is the only volume of space near Earth that has never been surveyed, since it is home to an alien race which is hostile to mankind and has even released a virus at a Terran Federation base, using a piece of space debris as a vector. * ''
Downbelow Station ''Downbelow Station'' is a science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982, was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year, and was named by ''Locus'' magazine as one of ...
'' (1981) and other Alliance-Union universe works, novels by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. 61 Cygni is the site of Bryant's Star Station, one of the stations on the "Great Circle" chain of space stations that terminates at Pell Station in the Tau Ceti system. * ''
Portal Portal often refers to: * Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...
'' (1986), interactive novel by Brad Fregger. In this novel the player, assuming the role of the unnamed astronaut protagonist, returns from a failed 100-year voyage to 61 Cygni to find the Earth devoid of humans. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The
terraformed Terraforming or terraformation ("Earth-shaping") is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying the atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology of a planet, moon, or other body to be similar to the environment of Earth to make ...
Cygnan planet Scott is notorious for its harsh, icy environment. Nonetheless, its sustaining planetwide fishing industry is well supplemented by a thriving
ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...
industry—visitors from nearby mining systems would never otherwise experience an outdoor environment. 61 Cygni is a member of the Federation. * ''
Revelation Space ''Revelation Space'' is a 2000 science fiction novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. It was the first novel (but not first published work of fiction) set in Reynolds's eponymous universe. The novel reflects Reynolds's professional background ...
'' universe (2000–2018), novels and stories by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
. 61 Cygni is the home star of the planet Sky's Edge, an earthlike planet in a perpetual state of war between settler families. * ''
Earth & Beyond ''Earth & Beyond'' was a science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts (EA). The game was released in in the United States. EA shut down ''Earth & Beyond'' ...
'' (2002–2004), online role-playing game published by
Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
. 61 Cygni is a system in the outskirts of the game universe. * '' 61 Cygni Ave'', the 13th track on
Neon Indian Neon Indian is an American electronic music band from Denton, Texas. The music is composed by Mexican-born Alan Palomo (born July 24, 1988), who is also known for his work with the band Ghosthustler, and as the solo artist VEGA. The project has b ...
's 3rd studio album, Vega Intl. Night School. There is no reference to the constellation other than the title. * '' To Sleep in a Sea of Stars'' (2020), novel by
Christopher Paolini Christopher James Paolini (born November 17, 1983) is an American author and screenwriter. He is best known for ''The Inheritance Cycle'', which consists of the books ''Eragon'', ''Eldest'', ''Brisingr'', ''Inheritance'', and the follow up short ...
. The 61 Cygni system is the location of a number of key events in the novel.


61 Ursae Majoris 61 Ursae Majoris, abbreviated 61 UMa, is a single star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Major. It has a yellow-orange hue and is dimly visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.35. The distance ...

* " The Warriors" (1966),
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
short story by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
published in the collection '' The Shape of Space'' (1969). 61 Ursae Majoris is the star system of the planet
Kzin The Kzinti (singular Kzin) are a fictional, warlike and bloodthirsty race of cat-like extraterrestrial life, aliens in Larry Niven's ''Known Space'' series. The Kzinti were initially introduced in Niven's story "The Warriors" (originally in ''Wo ...
, homeworld of the
Kzin The Kzinti (singular Kzin) are a fictional, warlike and bloodthirsty race of cat-like extraterrestrial life, aliens in Larry Niven's ''Known Space'' series. The Kzinti were initially introduced in Niven's story "The Warriors" (originally in ''Wo ...
ti (singular ''Kzin''), a warlike and bloodthirsty race of cat-like aliens in Niven's
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
series. * ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' (1966–). 61 Ursae Majoris is orbited by the class M planet Archer IV. * ''
2300 AD ''2300 AD'', originally titled ''Traveller: 2300'', is a tabletop science fiction role-playing game created by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) and first published in 1986. Publication history GDW created the popular science fiction role-playing ...
'' (1986), role-playing game designed by the
Game Designers' Workshop Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers. History Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding m ...
. Home system of Joi, a habitable garden world that has four ethnic colonies (Azanian, British, German, and Japanese), as well as the free nation of Elysia, a former French colony. * ''
Mass Effect ''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univers ...
'' (2007), videogame published by
Microsoft Game Studios Xbox Game Studios (previously known as Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, and Microsoft Games) is an American video game publisher and part of the Microsoft Gaming division based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, ...
. Birth system of the character of Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams.


61 Virginis 61 Virginis (abbreviated 61 Vir) is the Flamsteed designation of a G-type main-sequence star (G7V) slightly less massive than the Sun (which has a hotter G2V spectral type), located about 27.9 light-years away in the constellation of Vir ...

*
Hugo Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on ...
- and
Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...
-winning
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
author
Ken Liu Ken Liu (born 1976) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. His epic fantasy series ''The Dandelion Dynasty'', which he describes as silkpunk, is published by Simon & Schuster. Liu has won Hugo and Nebula Awards for his short fic ...
wrote two short stories about humans travelling on
solar sail Solar sails (also known as light sails and photon sails) are a method of spacecraft propulsion using radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on large mirrors. A number of spaceflight missions to test solar propulsion and navigation have been p ...
spacecraft from
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
to the 61 Virginis solar system, entitled "The Waves" and "Mono No Aware". The latter won the 2013
Hugo Award for Best Short Story The Hugo Award for Best Short Story is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The short story award is available for works of fiction of ...
. *The system features as a destination for human settlement in
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
' Poseidon's Children trilogy. *in the
GURPS The ''Generic Universal RolePlaying System'', or ''GURPS'', is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting. It was created by Steve Jackson Games and first published in 1986 at a time when most such systems w ...
Transhuman Space ''Transhuman Space'' (THS) is a role-playing game by David Pulver, published by Steve Jackson Games as part of the "Powered by ''GURPS''" (''Generic Universal Role-Playing System'') line. Set in the year 2100, humanity has begun to colonize the ...
roleplaying setting, the system is home to an exoplanet thought to harbor life. *In the video simulation
Elite Dangerous ''Elite Dangerous'' is a space flight simulation game developed and published by Frontier Developments. The player takes the role of a pilot (colloquially referred to as "Commander" or "CMDR") of a spaceship, and explores a realistic 1:1 scale, ...
by
Frontier Developments Frontier Developments is a British video game developer founded by David Braben in January 1994 and based at the Cambridge Science Park in Cambridge, England. Frontier is known for developing amusement park Construction and management simulation ...
, the 61 Virginis system is predicted to have at least two high gravity planets without atmosphere. The second of these hosted the SpeedBowl3 free flight tournament 9–10 November 2019 ( game date: 3305-11-09 / 3305-11-10 )


70 Ophiuchi 70 Ophiuchi is a binary star system located 16.6 light years away from the Earth. It is in the constellation Ophiuchus. At magnitude 4 it appears as a dim star visible to the unaided eye away from city lights. History In the Ptolemy's ...

* ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' (1965) and other novels in the ''Dune'' universe by
Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
. Sikun is the third planet from 70 Ophiuchi. * "
Miri ) , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = , subdivision_type2 = Division , subdivision_name2 ...
" (1966), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by
Adrian Spies Adrian Spies (April 17, 1920 – October 2, 1998) was an American screenwriter, active from the 1940s through to the 1980s. He won an Edgar Award for an episode of ''Studio One in Hollywood'' and was nominated for an Emmy Award for an episod ...
. In the
James Blish James Benjamin Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his ''Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel ''A Case of Conscienc ...
treatment of this episode, the events take place on a planet in the 70 Ophiuchi star system. This planet is an exact duplicate of the Earth in every detail. * '' Starforce: Alpha Centauri'' (1974), science fiction board game published by
Simulation Publications Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) was an American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship ''Strategy & Tactics'', in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an enormous number of games and introduced innovati ...
based on a concept by Redmond Simonsen. In this game as well as in the spin-off game '' StarSoldier'', 70 Ophiuchi is the home of the Rame, an advanced, space-faring race. * ''
The Ophiuchi Hotline ''The Ophiuchi Hotline'' is a 1977 science fiction novel by American writer John Varley (author), John Varley. It was nominated for a Locus Award. Part of his Eight Worlds series, the novel opens in the year 2618. Plot summary Prior to the begi ...
'' (1977), novel by
John Varley John Varley may refer to: * John Varley (canal engineer) (1740–1809), English canal engineer * John Varley (painter) (1778–1842), English painter and astrologer * John Varley (author) (born 1947), American science fiction author * John Silvest ...
. Humanity survives with the aid of a technology derived from information in the Ophiuchi Hotline, a radio signal apparently beamed from the star 70 Ophiuchi. * '' Great Space Battles'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley and Charles Herridge. Four planets orbit the binary 70 Ophiuchi. One of these worlds is roughly the size of
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
, with a human-breathable atmosphere and near-Earth gravity; in 2303, human settlers arrived at the planet and named it Drakon's Folly. Much of the planet's flora is edible by humans and the planet is well-suited for Earth crops, but in the early stages of the colonization of Drakon's Folly, enormous indigenous predatory invertebrates that the colonists called Blueworms, claimed the lives of several colonists before the humans improvised mechanized weapons to hunt down the Blueworms. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The 70 Ophiuchi system has an economy based on mining and heavy industry, which makes its population (in the hundreds of thousands) uncharacteristically large. * In the novel ''
Endymion Endymion primarily refers to: * Endymion (mythology), an Ancient Greek shepherd * ''Endymion'' (poem), by John Keats Endymion may also refer to: Fictional characters * Prince Endymion, a character in the ''Sailor Moon'' anime franchise * Raul ...
'' by
Dan Simmons Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948) is an American science fiction and horror writer. He is the author of the Hyperion Cantos and the Ilium/Olympos cycles, among other works which span the science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres, sometimes wi ...
it is said that the world known as Mare Infinitus is an aquatic moon of a subjovian planet located in orbit around 70 Ophiuchi A. * In the '' Star Carrier'' series by Ian Douglas 70 Ophiuchi is orbited by an Earthlike planet, Osiris, colonized by humans. It is overrun by Sh'daar vassal races in the second book, ''Center of Gravity''. In the fourth book, ''Deep Space'', the ''America'' carrier battle group decisively defeats the Sh'daar in orbit of the planet, and allusions are made to possible later ground operations to eliminate Sh'daar ground forces and recolonize the planet. * In ''
Deathworld ''Deathworld'' is the name of a series of science fiction novels by American writer Harry Harrison, including the books ''Deathworld'' (first published 1960, serialized in '' Astounding Science Fiction''), ''Deathworld 2'' (1964, initially titled ...
3 (The Horse Barbarians)'' (1968) by Harry Harrison, Jason dinAlt and 168 Pyrrans in the transport ''Pugnacious'' stop for a layover at Transfer Station 70 Ophiuchi on the way from Pyrrus to Felicity. The station is at the L1 point between 70 Ophiuchi A and B.


82 Eridani

In 2011 three
Super-Earth A super-Earth is an extrasolar planet with a mass higher than Earth's, but substantially below those of the Solar System's ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, which are 14.5 and 17 times Earth's, respectively. The term "super-Earth" refers only to ...
s were confirmed in orbit around 82 Eridani (HD20794). * '' Orbit Unlimited'' (1961), fix-up novel by
Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...
. The novel recounts the colonisation of the planet Rustum, a fictional terrestrial world orbiting 82 Eridani, by a group of refugees from an authoritarian planet Earth. Although habitable, Rustum's atmospheric pressure is so great that only its mountains and high plateaus are suitable for human settlement (compare UV Ceti: '' A Gift from Earth'' below, in which the planet Plateau has similar topography and habitability constraints, and San Martin, another such planet in the Trevor's Star system in the
Honorverse The Honorverse is a military science fiction book series, its two subseries, two prequel series, and anthologies created by David Weber and published by Baen Books. They are centered on the space navy career of the principal protagonist Honor ...
.). There is confusion about the distinction between 82 Eridani and
Epsilon Eridani Epsilon Eridani ( Latinized from ε Eridani), formally named Ran, is a star in the southern constellation of Eridanus, at a declination of 9.46° south of the celestial equator. This allows it to be visible from most of Earth's surface ...
, which is addressed in the science background section of the Wikipedia article about this novel. * " He Fell into a Dark Hole" (1973), short story by
Jerry Pournelle Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American scientist in the area of operations research and human factors research, a science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. In the 1960s ...
originally published in ''
Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...
'' science fiction magazine. Ships are mysteriously disappearing on the direct "Alderson" (hyperspace) path from the planet Meiji in the 82 Eridani system to the Earth. * ''
Enigma Enigma may refer to: *Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling Biology *ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain Computing and technology * Enigma (company), a New York-based data-technology startup * Enigma machine, a family ...
'' (1986), second installment of ''
The Trigon Disunity ''The Trigon Disunity'' is a series of three books written by science fiction author Michael P. Kube-McDowell. ''Emprise'' was a Philip K. Dick Award nominee, and placed second in the annual Locus Award, Locus Poll for best first novel. The first ...
'' series of novels by
Michael P. Kube-McDowell Michael Paul Kube-McDowell (born August 29, 1954), also known as Michael McDowell or Michael P. McDowell, is an American science fiction and non-fiction author. Background Born Michael Paul McDowell on August 29, 1954 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvani ...
. The 82 Eridani system is home to a small, primitive human colony called Muschynka. * ''Epona'' (1996), a highly detailed science fiction world that was developed by a team of over 30 scientists, authors and artists from many different countries, was described in the essay ''Epona'' by Wolf Read that appeared in ''
Analog Science Fiction and Fact ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'' (November 1996). A novelette by G. David Nordley, ''Fugue on a Sunken Continent'', appeared with the article. Epona is a life-bearing world older than the Earth that has a failed carbonate-silicate cycle and a tendency for multi-million year ice ages. These freezes are temporarily reversed by periodic bouts of remnant volcanism from a slowly cooling planetary interior. * ''
Ark Ark or ARK may refer to: Biblical narratives and religion Hebrew word ''teva'' * Noah's Ark, a massive vessel said to have been built to save the world's animals from a flood * Ark of bulrushes, the boat of the infant Moses Hebrew ''aron'' * ...
'' (2009), novel by Stephen Baxter. 82 Eridani is the home sun of an earthlike planet, Earth II, whose significant axial tilt and eccentric orbit produce seasonal variations extreme enough to discourage colonization. * "Latency" (2010), short story by
Simon Petrie Simon Petrie is a New Zealand-born speculative fiction writer now based in Canberra, Australia. He is predominantly recognised as a writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Petrie's stories have appeared in a number of Australian publi ...
originally published in ''
Aurealis ''Aurealis'' is an Australian speculative fiction magazine published by Chimaera Publications, and is Australia's longest running small-press science-fiction and fantasy magazine. The magazine is based in Melbourne. History and profile ''Aureali ...
'' magazine. A small team of xenobiologists and geochemists seeks to understand the mysterious, self-regulating algae that is the sole lifeform native to Charis, a terrestrial planet orbiting 82 Eridani. * The ''Aliens Colonial Marines Technical Manual'' states that the corps' second Marine Space Force that of Eridanus is stationed at Happy Days, Helene 215 (82 Eridani II). * '' Frozen Edge'' and '' Red Blood, Red Sky'' (2013), novels by Matthew D. Walter, feature a planet named Kresslabahn, home planet of the alien tanakans. It is depicted as the fourth planet from 82 G. Eridani. * In Gary Gibson's book '' Stealing Light(Shoal Sequence)'', 82 Eridani is the setting for an altercation between Lucas Corso and Bull Northcutt. * In
M. D. Cooper ( ; ; pl. ; ; 1512, from Middle French , literally "my lord") is an honorific title that was used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It has now become the customary French title of resp ...
's Aeon 14 books, 82 Eridani is the destination of the colony ship ''Intrepid''. The system (and one of its terraformed planets) is known as New Eden. The main character in the series, Tanis Richards, eventually reaches 82 Eridani in the series's 4th book, ''Destiny Lost''. * Along with five other exoplanets, 82 Eridani e was included in '' Civilization: Beyond Earth''s exoplanet DLC as a playable map. * The novel ''Guardian of Night'' (2012) by Tony Daniels takes place in part in the "vicinity of 82 Eridani". * "The Last Log of the Lachrimosa", short story set in the ''Revelation Space'' universe by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
, originally published by
Subterranean Press Subterranean Press is a small press publisher in Burton, Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. In addition to publishing novels, short stor ...
. The story takes place on a fictional planet, Holda, in the 82 Eridani system.


94 Aquarii

* " Unexpected" (2001), episode of ''
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'' written by
Rick Berman Richard Keith Berman (born December 25, 1945) is an American television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the executive producer of several of the '' Star Trek'' television series: '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', ...
and
Brannon Braga Brannon Braga (; born August 14, 1965) is an American television producer, director and screenwriter. Best known for his work in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, Braga was a key creative force behind three of the franchise's live action series. He la ...
. The episode makes reference to the ''Fellebian'' civilization. The fictional reference book ''Star Trek: Star Charts'' (2002) depicts 94 Aquarii as a trinary star with two class G components and a class K component. The trinary is orbited by the planet Fellebia.


107 Piscium

*''
Absolution Gap ''Absolution Gap'' is a 2003 science fiction novel written by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. It takes place in the ''Revelation Space'' universe and is a direct sequel to '' Redemption Ark''. Plot summary The plot of the novel takes place i ...
'' (2003), novel by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
. 107 Piscium is orbited by the gas giant Haldora which is in turn orbited by the
habitable moon The habitability of natural satellites is a measure of their potential to sustain life in favorable circumstances. Habitable environments do not necessarily harbor life. Natural satellite habitability is a new area that is significant to astrob ...
Hela HeLa (; also Hela or hela) is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line is derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951, named after Henrietta La ...
, colonized in the 27th century. *''Starhawk'' (2013), novel by
Jack McDevitt Jack McDevitt (born April 14, 1935) is an American science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make contact with alien races, and with archaeology or xenoarchaeology. Most of his books follow either superluminal pilot Pri ...
. 107 Piscium is orbited by the planet Selika, undergoing controversial terraforming operations.


Acamar Theta Eridani, Latinized from θ Eridani, is a binary system in the constellation of Eridanus with a combined apparent magnitude of 2.88. Its two components are designated θ1 Eridani, formally named Acamar (the traditional name of th ...
(θ Eridani)

* '' The Wounded Sky'' (1983), Star Trek novel by
Diane Duane Diane Duane (born May 18, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author, long based in Ireland. Her works include the ''Young Wizards'' young adult fantasy series and the '' Rihannsu'' Star Trek novels. Biography Born in New York ...
. The ''
Enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterprise ...
'' sets a course for Acamar before it is overtaken by several Klingon battle-cruisers. * "
The Vengeance Factor "The Vengeance Factor" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', and the 57th episode of the series overall. Captain Picard contends with a divided people, the ...
" (1989), episode of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' written by
Sam Rolfe Samuel Harris Rolfe (February 18, 1924 – July 10, 1993) was an American screenwriter best known for creating (with Herb Meadow) the 1950-60s highly rated CBS television series ''Have Gun – Will Travel'', as well as his work on the 1960s NBC ...
. The ''Enterprise'', after finding traces of Acamarian blood at a looted Federation outpost, goes to Acamar III. There they learn of a group of Acamarian nomadic pirates known as the Gatherers.


Achernar Achernar is the brightest star in the constellation of Eridanus, and the ninth-brightest in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Eridani, which is Latinized from α Eridani and abbreviated Alpha Eri or α Eri. The name A ...
(Alpha Eridani)

* Mentioned in ''
The Worm Ouroboros ''The Worm Ouroboros'' is a heroic high fantasy novel by English writer E. R. Eddison, first published in 1922. The book describes the protracted war between the domineering King Gorice of Witchland and the Lords of Demonland in an imaginary ...
'' (1922), in Chapter IX: "... Achernar near the meridian bedimming all lesser fires with his pure radiance." * ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (1940s onwards), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. * ''
The Killing Machine ''The Killing Machine'' (1964) is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance, the second in his " Demon Princes" series. Plot summary Kirth Gersen sets his sights on Kokor Hekkus, one of the Demon Princes. To hone his skills, Gers ...
'' (1964), "Demon Princes" novel by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. * ''
The Eyes of the Overworld ''The Eyes of the Overworld'' is a picaresque fantasy fix-up novel by American writer Jack Vance, published by Ace in 1966, the second book in the Dying Earth series that Vance inaugurated in 1950. Retitled ''Cugel the Clever'' in its Vance Inte ...
'' (1966), "Dying Earth" novel (retitled ''Cugel the Clever'' in the Vance Integral Edition) by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. * ''
Star Wolf Star Wolf or Starwolf may refer to: * ''Star Wolf'', a 1971 science-fiction novel by Ted White * Star Wolf, a team of mercenaries from the ''Star Fox'' series of video games. * ''Star Wolf'' (novel series), a series of science fiction novels by ...
'' (1967–1968), trilogy by
Edmond Hamilton Edmond Moore Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1977) was an American writer of science fiction during the mid-twentieth century. Early life Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. So ...
. * '' Mindbridge'' (1976), novel by
Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including ''The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), have wo ...
. * '' BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception'' (1988). * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993), '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995) and '' Elite: Dangerous'' (2014) computer games. Achernar (spelled in-universe as ''Achenar'') is the capital system of the Empire, one of the galaxy's major powers. * ''
Primortals ''Primortals'' (or typecased ''PriMortals'') was a comic book series published by Tekno-Comix (later Big Entertainment) from 1995 to 1997. The characters and concept were created by actor Leonard Nimoy, who developed the idea for the series aft ...
'' (1995–1997), comic book series concept. * ''
Star Trek Nemesis ''Star Trek: Nemesis'' is a 2002 American science fiction film directed by Stuart Baird. It is the tenth film in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, as well as the fourth and final film to star the cast of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. It was wr ...
'' (2002), novel by
J. M. Dillard Jeanne Kalogridis (pronounced ''Jean Kal-o-GREED-us''), also known by the pseudonym J.M. Dillard (born 1954), is a writer of historical, science and horror fiction. She was born in Florida and studied at the University of South Florida, earning ...
.


Alcor (80 Ursae Majoris)

* ''
Fist of the North Star is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. It was serialized in Shueisha's Shōnen manga, ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' for 245 issues published from 1983 to 1988 and initially colle ...
'' (1983-88), manga and anime series produced by
Buronson , known by the pen names and , is a Japanese manga writer. Making his debut in 1972, he first found success with the hardboiled detective manga series ''Doberman Deka'' (1975–1979) alongside illustrator Shinji Hiramatsu. He is best-known for ...
and
Tetsuo Hara is a Japanese manga artist. He is best-known for creating the post-apocalyptic martial arts series ''Fist of the North Star'' (1983–1988) with writer Buronson, which is one of the best-selling manga in history with over 100 million copies i ...
. Alcor is depicted as the ''Star of Death'' (, lit. 'Death Omen Star'), as it is said that anyone who observes it is fated to die within a year. The star also shines with a particular brightness on the occurrence of a battle between two practitioners of the ''Hokuto Shinken'' martial art, illuminating the combatant who will lose the bout.


Aldebaran Aldebaran (Arabic: “The Follower”, "الدبران") is the brightest star in the zodiac constellation of Taurus. It has the Bayer designation α Tauri, which is Latinized to Alpha Tauri and abbreviated Alpha Tau or α Tau. Aldebar ...
(Alpha Tauri)

* The Cthulhu Mythos (1921- ), a fictional universe created by H. P. Lovecraft ''et al.'' Hastur is a fictional entity in the Mythos, ambiguously referred to as a place, an object, or a deity, and developed into a
Great Old One American author H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937) created a number of fictional deities throughout the course of his literary career. These entities are usually depicted as immensely powerful and utterly indifferent to humans who can barely begin to c ...
by
August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and the ...
.
Robert W. Chambers Robert William Chambers (May 26, 1865 – December 16, 1933) was an American artist and fiction writer, best known for his book of short stories titled '' The King in Yellow'', published in 1895. Life Chambers was born in Brooklyn, New York, t ...
uses Hastur to represent both a person and a place associated with the names of several stars, including Aldebaran: more particularly, Hastur inhabits the shores of Lake Hali on a planet circling a dark star near Aldebaran. * ''
Lensman series The ''Lensman'' series is a series of science fiction novels by American author E. E. "Doc" Smith. It was a runner-up for the 1966 Hugo award for Best All-Time Series, losing to the ''Foundation'' series by Isaac Asimov. Plot The series begi ...
'' (1934–48), novels by E. E. "Doc" Smith. The Lensman series takes place over a vast sweep of space and on many different worlds. These include the planets Aldebaran I, occupied by the Wheelmen, and the scene of Kimball Kinnison's first major injury requiring hospitalization (leading to his first meeting with Clarrissa MacDougall), and Aldebaran II, one of the first human-settled planets, and the scene of several of Kinnison's adventures. Smith's work is strongly identified with the beginnings of US pulp science fiction as a separate marketing genre and did much to define its essential territory, galactic space, featuring many planets such as those orbiting Aldebaran. * '' The Starmen'' (1952), a novel by
Leigh Brackett Leigh Douglass Brackett (December 7, 1915 – March 18, 1978) was an American science fiction writer known as "the Queen of Space Opera." She was also a screenwriter, known for ''The Big Sleep'' (1946), '' Rio Bravo'' (1959), and '' The Long Goo ...
. Llyrdis, the fourth planet of Aldebaran, is the home of the starfaring Vardda. The novel is a space opera in which the Vardda are the only race that is able to endure the rigors of interstellar travel. Boucher and McComas gave the novel a lukewarm review, describing it as "an able job of writing a completely routine and uncreative space opera." The book, a prime example of the midcentury shift in science fiction authors' attention away from planets in the Solar System to worlds in orbit around other stars, pales in comparison to Brackett's best single work of the same period, '' The Long Tomorrow''. * ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' (1954–1955), fantasy epic written by
J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was ...
. Borgil, which follows Remirrath (the Pleiades) and precedes Menelvagor (Orion) has been convincingly identified as Aldebaran. * ''
The Stars My Destination ''The Stars My Destination'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Alfred Bester. Set in the 24th or 25th century, which varies between editions of the book, when humans have colonized the Solar System, it tells the story of Gully ull ...
'' (1956), classic science fiction novel (titled ''Tiger! Tiger!'' in the UK) written by
Alfred Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. He is best remembered for his science fiction, inclu ...
. After his apotheosis in the burning cathedral, the legendary Gully Foyle teleports stark naked to the vicinity of several stars, including Aldebaran: "Aldebaran in Taurus, a monstrous red star of a pair of stars whose sixteen planets wove high-velocity ellipses around their gyrating parents." The interstellar "jaunting" sequence is typical of Bester's signature pyrotechnics, his quick successions of hard, bright images, and mingled images of decay and new life. * ''
The Lathe of Heaven ''The Lathe of Heaven'' is a 1971 science fiction novel by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin. The plot concerns a character whose dreams alter past and present reality. The story was serialized in the American science fiction magazine ''Amazing ...
'' (1971), a novel by
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
. Protagonist George Orr, in an alternate-reality Oregon, is an effective dreamer: his dreams have the power to alter reality. Under the guidance of Svengali-like sleep researcher William Haber, he dreams into existence a series of increasingly intolerable alternate worlds: dreaming for "world peace," he creates an alien invasion of Earth's lunar colony Moondome (uniting humanity against the threat). The attackers are "natives of a methane atmosphere planet of the star Aldebaran, ndhad to wear their outlandish turtle-like suits perpetually on Earth or the Moon, but they didn't seem to mind." In the 2008 Prentice paperback, the flying turtle-aliens and their Tauran homeworld are imagined in cover art by Timothy Goodman. Like all of Le Guin's work, ''Lathe of Heaven'' is shaped around a recurrent motif—in this case, the balance of the archetypal symbols of arrogance and submission. * ''
The Lathe of Heaven ''The Lathe of Heaven'' is a 1971 science fiction novel by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin. The plot concerns a character whose dreams alter past and present reality. The story was serialized in the American science fiction magazine ''Amazing ...
'' (1980), PBS television film based on the
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
novel ''
The Lathe of Heaven ''The Lathe of Heaven'' is a 1971 science fiction novel by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin. The plot concerns a character whose dreams alter past and present reality. The story was serialized in the American science fiction magazine ''Amazing ...
'' (see
Literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
section above), film written by
Diane English Diane English (born May 18, 1948) is an American screenwriter, producer and director, best known for creating the television show ''Murphy Brown'' and writing and directing the 2008 feature film '' The Women''. Early life English was born in Buf ...
and Roger Swaybill and directed by
David Loxton David R. Loxton (January 28, 1943 – September 20, 1989), was a British people, British producer of documentaries and other programs for public television in the US. Loxton was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, the son of Bill Loxton and Binkie ...
and Fred Barzyk. With
Ed Emshwiller Edmund Alexander Emshwiller (February 16, 1925 – July 27, 1990) was an American visual artist notable for his science fiction illustrations and his pioneering experimental films. He usually signed his illustrations as Emsh but sometimes used E ...
on board as its visual consultant, the movie made innovative use of existing reality (futuristic high-rises in Dallas, for instance) to produce a striking "future reality" on a budget of only $250,000.


Algenubi (Epsilon Leonis)

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (1940s onwards), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Algenubi is the home sun of the Hlutrgú, or Swamp Frogs.


Algol ALGOL (; short for "Algorithmic Language") is a family of imperative computer programming languages originally developed in 1958. ALGOL heavily influenced many other languages and was the standard method for algorithm description used by the ...
(Beta Persei)

* "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" (1919), short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Algol is the location of the final battle between the "light being" and its interstellar nemesis, a vague "cosmic oppressor". The battle is marked by the appearance of a nova in the night sky near Algol. * ''
Algol ALGOL (; short for "Algorithmic Language") is a family of imperative computer programming languages originally developed in 1958. ALGOL heavily influenced many other languages and was the standard method for algorithm description used by the ...
'' (1920), silent film written by Hans Brennert and Fridel Köhne, and directed by Hans Werckmeister. Known for its futuristic scenography by Walter Reimann, it features
Emil Jannings Emil Jannings (born Theodor Friedrich Emil Janenz, 23 July 1884 – 2 January 1950) was a Swiss born German actor, popular in the 1920s in Hollywood. He was the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in '' The L ...
as Robert Herne, a coal miner who encounters an alien from Algol. * "Neither Brute Nor Human" (1984), a short mystery story by
Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
in ''Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'', April 1984, and collected in ''
Banquets of the Black Widowers ''Banquets of the Black Widowers'' is a collection of mystery short stories by American writer Isaac Asimov featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in September 1984, a ...
''. Algol is the solution to a puzzle in which the correct star must be identified. * ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (1940s onwards), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Algol is the home sun of the Tinalíya, or Gnomes. * ''
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comic science fiction, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally The Hitchhiker's Guide to th ...
'' (1979), novel by
Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' developed into a " ...
. Algol is a subject of the ditty: "Aldebaran's great, okay, / Algol's pretty neat, / Betelgeuse's pretty girls / Will knock you off your feet. / They'll do anything you like / Real fast and then real slow, ..." * ''
Mekton ''Mekton'' is a role-playing game which centers on the conventions of mecha anime and science fiction (although it can easily enough be adapted to other genres like police drama or high fantasy). It has seen several editions since its introduct ...
'' (1984–1994), role-playing game designed by
Mike Pondsmith Michael Alyn Pondsmith is an American Role-playing game, roleplaying, Board game, board, and video game designer. He is best known for founding the publisher R. Talsorian Games in 1982, where he developed a majority of the company's role-playing ...
and published by
R. Talsorian Games R. Talsorian Games (RTG) is a publisher of role-playing game books and accessories. Originally based in Berkeley, California, but moved to Renton, Washington in 1997. Their titles include the ''Cyberpunk 2020'' series and anime-related titles su ...
. The Algol system is one setting for the game, which features Japanese-style
mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...
. As described in the game, it differs considerably from reality (being composed of ''four'' stars, including a yellow dwarf similar to Sol). * ''
Phantasy Star is a series of console role-playing video games and other supplementary media created by Sega. The series debuted in 1987 on the Master System with ''Phantasy Star'', and continues into the present with ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' and other ext ...
'' original series (1987–1993), role-playing video games and other supplementary media created by
Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
. The games are set in the planetary system of Algol, home of the primary antagonist, Dark Falz. * " Ménage à Troi" (1990) and "
Qpid "Qpid" is the 94th episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', the 20th episode of the fourth season. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet cr ...
" (1991), episodes of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. The episodes feature a civilized alien race called the ''Algolians''. * '' Stargonauts'' (1994) and '' Bikini Planet'' (2000), novels by
David S. Garnett David Stanley Garnett (born 1947) is a UK science fiction author and editor. His first novel, ''Mirror in the Sky'', was published in 1969. Three of his books are comic science fiction novels: ''Stargonauts'', ''Bikini Planet'' and ''Space Waster ...
. Algol is a world ruled by a matriarchal monarchy of intelligent cats. * It is the subject of the song Algol from the
Vintersorg Vintersorg (; "Winter Sorrow" in English) is a Swedish band from Skellefteå, formed in 1994 under the name Vargatron (Wolfthrone in English). Musically, Vintersorg has covered a wide number of heavy metal genres; while the band is mostly ro ...
album
Cosmic Genesis Vintersorg (; "Winter Sorrow" in English) is a Swedish band from Skellefteå, formed in 1994 under the name Vargatron (Wolfthrone in English). Musically, Vintersorg has covered a wide number of heavy metal music, heavy metal genres; while the ...
(2000). * "Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian" (2009), short story included in the collection '' Halo: Evolutions'' and "
Prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
" (2010), episode of ''
Halo Legends ''Halo Legends'' is a collection of 7 short films set in the ''Halo'' universe. Financed by the franchise's overseer 343 Industries, the stories were created by six Japanese anime production houses: Bee Train, Bones, Casio Entertainment, Product ...
'', both parts of the ''Halo'' fictional universe. Algolis is a planet of Algol, attacked by the Covenant Empire and defended by United Nations Space Command marines from the UNSC destroyer ''Heart of Midlothian'' in the Battle of Algolis. All Covenant forces perished in the attack. *''
The Sorrows of Satan ''The Sorrows of Satan'' is an 1895 Faustian novel by Marie Corelli. It is widely regarded as one of the world's first best-sellers – partly due to an upheaval in the system British libraries used to purchase their books, and partly due to its ...
'' (1895), novel by
Marie Corelli Mary Mackay (1 May 185521 April 1924), also called Minnie Mackey, and known by her pseudonym Marie Corelli (, also , ), was an English novelist. From the appearance of her first novel ''A Romance of Two Worlds'' in 1886, she became the bestsel ...
. Algol is mentioned by Lucio de Rimânez, an alias of Lucifer "Algol,—judged by superstitious folk to be an evil star. I love it chiefly on account of its bad reputation,—it is no doubt much maligned. It may be a cold quarter of hell where weeping spirits sit frozen in ice made of their own congealed tears,—or it may be a preparatory school for Heaven—who knows!" *''
In Praise of Learning ''In Praise of Learning'' is a studio album by British avant-rock group Henry Cow, recorded at Virgin Records' Manor studios in February and March 1975, and released in May 1975. On this album, Henry Cow had expanded to include members of Slapp ...
'' (1975), the star is mentioned in the song "
Beautiful as the Moon – Terrible as an Army with Banners "Beautiful as the Moon – Terrible as an Army with Banners" is a 1975 song composed by Fred Frith with lyrics by Chris Cutler for the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. It was recorded in February and March 1975 by Henry Cow and Slapp Happy, ...
" by British avant-rock group
Henry Cow Henry Cow were an English experimental rock group, founded at the University of Cambridge in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer Chris Cutler, b ...
. * ''Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't They?'' (2011-2015), a Japanese
light novel A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a ''wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...
,
manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
and
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series written by Tarō Tatsunoko. Algol was a former Demon Lord that was currently held as a gift by the Perseus Community. The creature took on the appearance of a gorgon and had the ability to petrify living creatures with its gaze as in mythology. *
Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul, commonly pronounced correctly as ''Re'sh'', hence or ; "The Head of the Demon" or, in a rougher translation, "The Chief Demon". is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary o ...
, a major foe of Batman in the DC universe, takes his name from the star.


Alhena (Gamma Geminorum)

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (1940s onwards), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Alhena is the home sun of the Nyaggá, or Dwellers Below.


Alioth Epsilon Ursae Majoris is a star in the northern constellation of Ursa Major. The designation is Latinised from ε Ursae Majoris and abbreviated Epsilon UMa or ε UMa. It is officially named Alioth . Despite being designat ...
(Epsilon Ursae Majoris)

* '' Star Trek: Bridge Commander'' (2002), combat simulation game developed by
Totally Games Totally Games was a video game developer located in Marin County, California. Their titles included the ''X-wing'' series of games based on the Star Wars universe, a series of PC-based World War II flight combat simulations (''Battlehawks 1942' ...
and published by
Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...
. The " Alioth system" and the "Maelstrom" are the location of the Vesuvi star, whose induced supernova destroys the planet Vesuvi III, leading to interstellar war. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995) and '' Elite: Dangerous'' (2014), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. In ''Elite II'' Alioth is a lawless anarchy contested by the game's major powers. In ''First Encounters'' the population of Alioth has risen against both powers and formed the Alliance of Independent Systems, governed from Alioth. In ''Elite: Dangerous'' Alioth is the capital of the Alliance and headquarters of its Prime Minister. * ''
The Ship Who Sang ''The Ship Who Sang'' (1969) is a science fiction novel by American writer Anne McCaffrey, a fix-up of five stories published 1961 to 1969. By an alternate reckoning, "The Ship Who Sang" is the earliest of the stories, a novelette, which became ...
'' (1969) science fiction novel by
Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-Irish writer known for the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, ''Weyr Search'', 19 ...
. In Chapter 3, "The Ship who Killed", Brainship Helva and her Brawn Kira travel to the bleak volcanic planet Alioth, where a rogue Brainship is being worshiped as the goddess of a death cult.


Alkalurops (Mu Boötis)

* ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' (1965) and other novels in the ''Dune'' universe by
Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
. Ix is the ninth planet (hence its name) from the star Alkalurops (named Rodale in the ''
Legends of Dune The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's o ...
'' prequel novels) and is a pre-eminent source of high technology in the Dune universe. The devices manufactured on Ix and Richese (''
q.v. } (right to left). , - , ''quo errat demonstrator'', , where the prover errs, , A pun on "quod erat demonstrandum" , - , ''quo fata ferunt'', , where the fates bear us to, , motto of Bermuda , - , ''quo non ascendam'' , , to what heights can I ...
'') are commonplace and considered essential, though they sometimes test the limits of the anti-technology proscriptions of the Butlerian Jihad.


Alnilam Alnilam is the central star of Orion's Belt in the equatorial constellation of Orion. It has the Bayer designation ε Orionis, which is Latinised to Epsilon Orionis and abbreviated Epsilon Ori or ε Ori. This is a massive, blue supe ...
(Epsilon Orionis)

* ''
Robinson Crusoe on Mars ''Robinson Crusoe on Mars'' is a 1964 American science fiction film directed by Byron Haskin and produced by Aubrey Schenck that stars Paul Mantee, Victor Lundin, and Adam West. It is a science fiction retelling of the classic 1719 novel ''Robins ...
'' (1964), film written by
John C. Higgins John Clarence Higgins (April 28, 1908 – July 2, 1995) was a Canadian-American screenwriter. History During the 1930s and early 1940s, Higgins worked on mostly complex murder mystery films, including the Spencer Tracy film '' Murder Man'' ( ...
and
Ib Melchior Ib Jørgen Melchior (September 17, 1917 – March 14, 2015) was a Danish-American novelist, short-story writer, film producer, film director, and screenwriter of low-budget American science fiction movies, most of them released by American Inter ...
based on the novel ''
Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...
'' by
Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...
; directed by
Byron Haskin Byron Conrad Haskin (April 22, 1899 – April 16, 1984) was an American film and television director, special effects creator and cinematographer. He is best known for directing ''The War of the Worlds'' (1953), one of many films where he t ...
. Alnilam is the home star of the aliens in this movie, including the slave named "Friday" freed by the marooned Earth astronaut.


Alnitak Alnitak is a triple star system in the constellation of Orion. It has the designations ζ Orionis, which is Latinised to Zeta Orionis and abbreviated Zeta Ori or ζ Ori, and 50 Orionis, abbreviated 50 Ori. The system is located at a ...
(Zeta Orionis)

* "
The City on the Edge of Forever "The City on the Edge of Forever" is the twenty-eighth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by Harlan Ellison, contributors and/or editors to the script included ...
" (1967), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
. Captain Kirk struggles to recall a book written around 2030 by a famous novelist from "a planet circling that far left star in
Orion's Belt Orion's Belt or the Belt of Orion, also known as the Three Kings or Three Sisters, is an asterism in the constellation Orion. It consists of the three bright stars Alnitak Alnitak is a triple star system in the constellation of ...
". * ''
Infinity Beach ''Infinity Beach'' is a 2000 science fiction novel by Jack McDevitt. It is a story of a first contact between human and alien civilizations. It was a 2000 nominee for the Nebula Award for Best Novel The Nebula Award for Best Novel is given e ...
'' (2000), novel by
Jack McDevitt Jack McDevitt (born April 14, 1935) is an American science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make contact with alien races, and with archaeology or xenoarchaeology. Most of his books follow either superluminal pilot Pri ...
. Alnitak is the location of the first contact between human and alien civilizations.


Alpha Andromedae Alpha Andromedae (α Andromedae, abbreviated Alpha And or α And), officially named Alpheratz , is 97 light-years from the Sun and is the brightest star in the constellation of Andromeda when Beta Andromedae undergoes its periodica ...
(Alpheratz)

* Alpha Andromedae is referred to by the name "Sirrah" in the
Ayreon Ayreon is a musical project by Dutch songwriter, singer, musician and record producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen. Ayreon's music is described as progressive rock, progressive metal and power metal sometimes combined with genres such as folk, electro ...
mythology. Universal Migrator (2000) and
The Source ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...
(2017) feature an alien race abandoning their home planet in search of a new home on "planet Y" orbiting "the star of Sirrah."


Alpha Arietis Hamal , designation Alpha Arietis (α Arietis, abbreviated Alpha Ari, α Ari), is the brightest star in the northern zodiacal constellation of Aries. With an apparent visual magnitude of 2.0, it is the mean 50th-brightest star in th ...
(Hamal)

* ''
A Case of Conscience ''A Case of Conscience'' is a science fiction novel by American writer James Blish, first published in 1958. It is the story of a Jesuit who investigates an alien race that has no religion yet has a perfect, innate sense of morality, a situation ...
'' (1953), novel by
James Blish James Benjamin Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his ''Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel ''A Case of Conscienc ...
. Lithia (Alpha Arietis II) is home to the Lithians, a kangaroo-like species whose life cycle is a perfect example of ontogeny recapitulating phylogeny (their young 'evolve' into adults). Lithians have a non-religious ethical code of conduct and their utopian society has no crime. This causes great problems for a visiting Catholic priest, whose faith is tested by the evidence. (for a depiction of the species see
Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials ''Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials'' (1979; second edition 1987) is a science fiction book by artist Wayne Barlowe, with Ian Summers and Beth Meacham (who provided the text). It contains Barlowe's visualizations of different extraterrestrial ...
)


Alpha Centauri Alpha Centauri ( Latinized from α Centauri and often abbreviated Alpha Cen or α Cen) is a triple star system in the constellation of Centaurus. It consists of 3 stars: Alpha Centauri A (officially Rigil Kentaurus), Alpha Centaur ...
(Rigil Kentaurus/Toliman)

* "Foundation" (1942) by Isaac Asimov: Lord Dorwin lists "Alpha Centauri" second among planets speculated as origin of mankind, behind Sirius but ahead of "Sol". *"Foundation and Earth" by Isaac Asimov: Golan Trevize, Janus Pelorat and Blissenobiarella visit Alpha Centauri while trying to find the location of Earth * "
Far Centaurus ''Far Centaurus'' is a science fiction short story by Canadian-American writer A. E. van Vogt, first published in ''Astounding Science Fiction'' in 1944. Writer and critic P. Schuyler Miller called it "unforgettable and unforgotten." The story i ...
" (1944), short story by
A. E. van Vogt Alfred Elton van Vogt ( ; April 26, 1912 – January 26, 2000) was a Canadian-born American science fiction author. His fragmented, bizarre narrative style influenced later science fiction writers, notably Philip K. Dick. He was one of the ...
published in the collection '' Destination: Universe!'' (1952). A crew of Terran explorers who have been hibernating through a centuries-long voyage to Alpha Centauri discover on arrival that humanity already arrived at the Alphan planet Pelham via
superluminal Faster-than-light (also FTL, superluminal or supercausal) travel and communication are the conjectural propagation of matter or information faster than the speed of light (). The special theory of relativity implies that only particles with zero ...
travel long before them (compare
Comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
: ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' below). * '' Seed of Light'' (1959), novel by
Edmund Cooper Edmund Cooper (30 April 1926 – 11 March 1982) was an English poet and prolific writer of speculative fiction, romances, technical essays, several detective stories, and a children's book. These were published under his own name and several pe ...
. An elite crew of men and women fleeing Earth after a
nuclear holocaust A nuclear holocaust, also known as a nuclear apocalypse, nuclear Armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes globally widespread destruction and radioactive fallout. Such a scenar ...
reach the Alpha Centauri system, only to discover—to their vast chagrin—that there are no planets there. Reluctantly, they forge onward. * ''
The Man-Kzin Wars ''The Man-Kzin Wars'' is a series of military science fiction anthologies and is the name of the first. The short stories detail the eponymous conflicts between mankind and the Kzinti, set in Larry Niven's ''Known Space'' universe. However, Nive ...
'' (1966),
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
novel by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
. Wunderland is a planet circling Alpha Centauri, and the location of the first extra-solar colony in the human history of
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
. A salubrious world with a gravity 60% of Earth normal, it was invaded and its population enslaved for almost half a century by the
Kzin The Kzinti (singular Kzin) are a fictional, warlike and bloodthirsty race of cat-like extraterrestrial life, aliens in Larry Niven's ''Known Space'' series. The Kzinti were initially introduced in Niven's story "The Warriors" (originally in ''Wo ...
ti during the first Man-Kzin War. Alpha Centaurian men and women endured, or waged guerrilla warfare from remote and desolate bases, until the liberation. * ''
Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...
'' (1965–1968), television series created by
Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film gen ...
and variously directed. The astronaut family of Drs. John and Maureen Robinson, accompanied by their pilot Major Donald West and a robot, set out from an overpopulated Earth in the spacecraft ''Jupiter 2''. The crew is frozen in suspended animation for the five-and-a-half year voyage to a known habitable planet of Alpha Centauri, on which they are to establish a colony. The ship is lost in space due to sabotage by an enemy agent, Dr. Zachary Smith, who is trapped aboard the ship at launch. Hurtling on into deep space, the ''Jupiter 2'' crash lands on an unknown planet. Although remote, this lost world soon becomes a stopping-off point for practically every space-travelling alien or monster in the galaxy, each episode seeing the arrival of some new visitor. Several remakes have been released: a 1998 feature film, a 2004 pilot television episode, and a 2018 television series. * "
The Golden Man "The Golden Man" is an 11,600-word science fiction short story by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was received by the Scott Meredith Literary Agency on June 24, 1953, and first published in the April 1954 issue of '' If'' magazine. The story ...
" (1981), episode of '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'' (season 2) written by Calvin Clements Sr. and Stephen McPherson and directed by
Vincent McEveety Vincent Michael McEveety (August 10, 1929 – May 19, 2018) was an American film director, film and television director and producer. Career Vince McEveety directed numerous Emmy Award-winning television series, including ''The Untouchables ( ...
. Under the command of Admiral Asimov, the spaceship ''Searcher'' enters the asteroid belt of the Alpha Centauri system and becomes trapped on a planetoid by a lethal magnetic storm. The crew comes upon Velis, one of the ''golden people'', humanoids who possess alchemical faculties and age in reverse. Velis reveals that his companion, Relos, can use special powers to help the ship escape destruction if the crew is willing to rescue him from the prison planet Iris VII orbiting Alpha Centauri. * ''
Voyage from Yesteryear ''Voyage from Yesteryear'' is a 1982 science fiction novel by British writer James P. Hogan. Origins According to Hogan, the idea for the book originated around 1976 when he was asked by a friend about whether there was a solution to "the Tro ...
'' (1982), novel by James P. Hogan. An automated genetic ark flees imminent nuclear catastrophe on the Earth, and locates a habitable planet in orbit around Alpha Centauri. Hundreds of human ova are programmed from the DNA databanks, then birthed and raised in untrammeled innocence by robotic nannies. As these " natural humans" grow to maturity, they organize the polity of their colony world
Chiron In Greek mythology, Chiron ( ; also Cheiron or Kheiron; ) was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren since he was called the "wisest and justest of all the centaurs". Biography Chiron was notable throughout Greek mythology ...
as a classless pastoral anarchy. When a resurgent and covetous Earth comes calling, the Chironians "governed according to kind of Trickster Libertarianism ... effortlessly face down and flummox the attempt by Earth to re-establish control." Instead of seizing power, the invaders are happily assimilated. * In the
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
franchise (1984), several continuities have established Alpha Centauri as the solar system containing Cybertron, the homeworld of the Transformers. * In
2300 AD ''2300 AD'', originally titled ''Traveller: 2300'', is a tabletop science fiction role-playing game created by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) and first published in 1986. Publication history GDW created the popular science fiction role-playing ...
(1986), role-playing game designed by the
Game Designers' Workshop Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers. History Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding m ...
. The Alpha Centauri system has a number of habitable worlds: Tirane (''Alpha Centauri A I''), the first planet of Alpha Centauri A, is a habitable "garden" world where a number of Terran nations each maintain one or more colonies. It was the first habitable extrasolar planet discovered by mankind, and it has grown in importance until it is considered to be one of the core worlds. Sheol (''Alpha Centauri B I''), the first planet of Alpha Centauri B, is a hothouse world with significant deposits of minerals and a thriving extraction industry. Limbes (''Alpha Centauri B III''), the third planet of Alpha Centauri B, is a post-garden world, sterilized by the greenhouse effect. Scientists maintain a research station in orbit around this world. Despite almost a century of study, no surviving life forms have been detected, but fossil evidence still bears witness to a rich ecology that long ago perished. Moiroi (''Proxima Centauri I'') (with its associated satellites: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) is the sole planet of Proxima Centauri. Several nations maintain scientific or mining stations on the moons of this planet. * ''
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri ''Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri'' is a 4X video game, considered a spiritual sequel to the ''Civilization'' series. Set in a science fiction depiction of the 22nd century, the game begins as seven competing ideological factions land on the planet ...
'' (1999), videogame designed by Brian Reynolds,
Bing Gordon William "Bing" Gordon is a video game executive and technology venture capitalist. He served ten years as Chief Creative Officer of video game publisher and developer Electronic Arts (EA) prior to his current partnership with Kleiner Perkins Cauf ...
and
Sid Meier Sidney K. Meier ( ; born February 24, 1954) is a Canadian-American programmer, designer, and producer of several strategy video games and simulation video games, including the ''Civilization'' series. Meier co-founded MicroProse in 1982 with B ...
. In 2060 the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
launch "Unity", a colonization mission directed towards the nearby system of Alpha Centauri, to avoid the ravages of Earth and the hinted imminent demise of civilization (for nuclear warfare, uncontrolled climate change, excessive pollution). Once there, a malfunction causes the colonists to wake up early from their cryo-induced slumber and the star ship to enter collision route with the planet. After the assassination of captain Garland, the crew splits into 7 factions which differ not by ethnicity or nationality but by ideology. The now splinted members of the crew reach the evacuation drop pods to start a colonization attempt which will be not only a quest for the survival of humanity (no radio signals come from the Sun, hinting that the colonists are the last humans) but also for the ultimate ideological lead of mankind. All celestial bodies in the Alpha Centauri system are named after mythological centaurs. The target planet is officially named
Chiron In Greek mythology, Chiron ( ; also Cheiron or Kheiron; ) was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren since he was called the "wisest and justest of all the centaurs". Biography Chiron was notable throughout Greek mythology ...
, the only non-barbaric
centaur A centaur ( ; grc, κένταυρος, kéntauros; ), or occasionally hippocentaur, is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse. Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as being ...
in
Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...
and an important loregiver and teacher for humanity, but the colonists simply call it Planet. The name also pays homage to James P. Hogan's 1982 space opera novel
Voyage from Yesteryear ''Voyage from Yesteryear'' is a 1982 science fiction novel by British writer James P. Hogan. Origins According to Hogan, the idea for the book originated around 1976 when he was asked by a friend about whether there was a solution to "the Tro ...
, in which a human colony is artificially planted by an automatic probe on a planet later named by colonists as Chiron. It has a mass roughly equivalent to that of Earth, but no axis inclination and therefore no relevant seasonal changes, and two moons: Pholus and Nessus, whose combined tidal forces equal that of the Moon. Its biosphere is dominated by red layers of xenofungus, which forms sentient networks capable of some kind of primitive sapiency. The xenofungus lives in symbiosis with mind worms, which are hostile to colonists (unless social engineering choices and research allow to capture them or even start breeding programs). If the player increases ecological impact through industrial production and pollution, sudden xenofungal blooms and mind worm boils might appear, in a process that one of the faction leaders compared to an "immunitary system reaction" against pathogens. There is another planet that is mentioned,
Eurythion Eurytion (Ancient Greek: Εὐρυτίων, "widely honoured") or Eurythion (Εὐρυθίων) was a name attributed to several individuals in Greek mythology: *Eurytion, the king of Phthia. *Eurytion, a Centaur of Arcadia who demanded to marry ...
, a Mercury-like planet orbiting close to Alpha Centauri A. There are no other planets and since their formation was likely prevented by Alpha Centauri B, the latter is dubbed
Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...
, a reference to the Greek hero slaying centaurs in mythology. * ''
Avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
'' (2009), film written and directed by
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
. The film is set in 2154, when Earth's RDA Corporation is mining a precious mineral called unobtanium on
Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...
, a lush habitable moon of the gas giant Polyphemus in the Alpha Centauri A system (see graphic). Pandora, whose atmosphere is poisonous to humans, is inhabited by the
Na'vi The Pandoran biosphere is a fictional habitat introduced in James Cameron's 2009 science fiction film ''Avatar''. The ecology of the lush moon Pandora, which teems with a biodiversity of bioluminescent species ranging from hexapodal animals to ot ...
, 10-foot-tall blue-skinned intelligent humanoids who live in harmony with nature. The film's title ''Avatar'' refers to the genetically engineered Na'vi-human hybrid bodies used by a team of researchers to interact with the natives. The expansion of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of a local tribe of the Na'vi, and sympathetic humans use their Avatars to lead them in a revolt against the corporate security forces. *In ''
Remembrance of Earth's Past ''Remembrance of Earth's Past'' () is a science fiction series by Chinese writer Liu Cixin. The series is also popularly referred to as ''Three-Body'' from part of the title of its first novel, '' The Three-Body Problem'' (). The series details ...
'', the (2008-2010) novel trilogy by
Liu Cixin Liu Cixin (, pronounced ; born 23 June 1963) is a Chinese science fiction writer. He is a nine-time winner of China's Galaxy Award and has also received the 2015 Hugo Award for his novel '' The Three-Body Problem'' as well as the 2017 Lo ...
, the three stars of Alpha Centauri form a chaotic system referred to as Trisolaris.


Alpha Ceti Alpha Ceti (α Ceti, abbreviated Alpha Cet, α Cet), officially named Menkar , is the second-brightest star in the constellation of Cetus. It is a cool luminous red giant about 250 light years away. Nomenclature ''Alpha Ceti'' is ...
(Menkar or Menkab)

* "
Space Seed "Space Seed" is the twenty-second episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber and directed by Marc Daniels, it first aired on February 16, 1967. In the e ...
" (1967), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber, and the second ''Star Trek'' film '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' (1982), film written by
Jack B. Sowards Jack B. Sowards (March 18, 1929 - July 8, 2007) was an American screenwriter who wrote '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'', and the 1988 '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "Where Silence Has Lease". Sowards created the term Kobayashi ...
and directed by
Nicholas Meyer Nicholas Meyer (born December 24, 1945) is an American writer and director, known for his best-selling novel ''The Seven-Per-Cent Solution'', and for directing the films ''Time After Time (1979 film), Time After Time'', two of the ''Star Trek'' ...
. Ceti Alpha V (with twisted
Bayer designation A Bayer designation is a stellar designation in which a specific star is identified by a Greek or Latin letter followed by the genitive form of its parent constellation's Latin name. The original list of Bayer designations contained 1,564 stars. ...
) is the planet to which
Khan Khan may refer to: *Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan *Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name *Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
and his crew are exiled in "Space Seed",
James Kirk James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk leads ...
's vain hope in so exiling them being that they can establish a colony, and from which they escape in ''The Wrath of Khan'' after it is rendered uninhabitable as a consequence of the destruction of Ceti Alpha VI. * " Starvin' Marvin in Space" (1999), episode 13 of season 3 of ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
''. Alpha Ceti VI is the planet Marklar, whose inhabitants speak a language identical to English except that every noun is replaced with the word "Marklar". The planet is subjected to a controversy when Christian missionaries attempt to proselytize the Marklar. * "
Twilight Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this il ...
" (2003), episode of ''
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'' written by Mike Sussman. Ceti Alpha V (with twisted
Bayer designation A Bayer designation is a stellar designation in which a specific star is identified by a Greek or Latin letter followed by the genitive form of its parent constellation's Latin name. The original list of Bayer designations contained 1,564 stars. ...
) is the home of what is left of Humanity after the Xindi destroy the Earth (along with
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
and multiple extrasolar Human-colonized planets) in an alternate timeline; the "cruel joke", as described by Sussman, that Humankind's new homeworld ("Twilight" takes place 113 years before "Space Seed") was itself doomed, was intentional.


Alpha Coronae Borealis Alpha Coronae Borealis (α Coronae Borealis, abbreviated Alpha CrB, α CrB), officially named Alphecca , is an eclipsing binary star in the constellation of Corona Borealis. It is located about 75 light years from the Sun and contains t ...
(Alphecca/Alphekka)

* '' Star Carrier'', novel series by
William H. Keith, Jr. William H. Keith (born August 8, 1950) is an American author mainly contributing to military science fiction and military fiction and related game design, who writes also under several pen names, such as Ian Douglas, Robert Cain and H. Jay R ...
writing as Ian Douglas. Alien radio transmissions from Alphekka are detected on Earth, leading the Terran Confederation of States to the conclusion that it may be a major Sh'daar base. In the second book, ''Center of Gravity'' (2011),
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
Alexander Koenig is given the go-ahead to launch Operation Crown Arrow and attack the presumed base. They discover a large, automated spaceship factory, defeat the fleet defending it, and destroy the station. * ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'': ** The 1997 '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
''Intellivore'' by
Diane Duane Diane Duane (born May 18, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author, long based in Ireland. Her works include the ''Young Wizards'' young adult fantasy series and the '' Rihannsu'' Star Trek novels. Biography Born in New York ...
cites Alphecca IV as the home planet of the Alpheccan civilization, which rarely leaves its home system. ** In the 2002
computer game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
'' Star Trek: Starfleet Command III'' the seventh planet of the Alphecca system, Gemma VII, is a holding of the
Romulan Star Empire The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise '' Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series '' Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The ...
, and a friendly port for
Romulan The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series ''Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The A ...
player characters.


Alpha Draconis Thuban (), with Bayer designation Alpha Draconis or α Draconis, is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Draco. A relatively inconspicuous star in the night sky of the Northern Hemisphere, it is historically significant ...
(Thuban)

* " That Darn Katz!" (2010), episode of the animated science fiction comedy series ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
'' created by
Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
. In this episode, it is revealed that the domestic house cat is originally from the planet Thuban IX. * ''
Mass Effect 2 ''Mass Effect 2'' is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010 and PlayStation 3 in 2011. It is the second installment in the ''Mass Effect'' series and a ...
'' (2010), role playing game developed by
BioWare BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1995 by newly graduated Doctor of Medicine, medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, alongside Trent Oster, Brent Oster, and Marcel Zes ...
and published by
Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
. In this game, players can explore the Thuban planetary system. * ''
Way Station (novel) ''Way Station'' is a 1963 science fiction novel by American writer Clifford D. Simak, originally published as ''Here Gather the Stars'' in two parts in ''Galaxy Magazine'' in June and August 1963. ''Way Station'' won the 1964 Hugo Award for Bes ...
'' (1964), in the novel by
Clifford D. Simak Clifford Donald Simak (; August 3, 1904 – April 25, 1988) was an American science fiction writer. He won three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its third SFWA Grand Master, and the Horror Wr ...
the protagonist Enoch Wallace entertains a visitor from the liquid planet Thuban IV.


Alpha Gruis Alpha Gruis is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Grus (constellation), Grus. It is officially named Alnair; ''Alpha Gruis'' is the star's Bayer designation, which is Latinisation of names, Latinized from α Gruis and ab ...
(Alnair)

* '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Alpha Gruis has a system of four planets; Alpha Gruis I is the homeworld of the Natans, who are not native to the planet; the Natans were forced to colonize the planet after their colony ship crashed on the world more than 2,500 years beforehand. The Natans are relatively introverted in personality, and only allow a few number of off-world visitors at a time via their spaceline, Magnum Charter, which was founded in 2199.


Alpha Hydri Alpha Hydri, Latinized from α Hydri, is the second brightest star in the southern circumpolar constellation of Hydrus. It is readily visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of +2.9. It is sometimes informally known ...

* '' Serpent's Reach'' (1980), novel by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. Alpha Hydri III (Cerdin) is the home planet of the Majat, an insectoid race whose inter-hive conflicts drive the novel. The article on ''Serpent's Reach'' addresses the difficulty of ascertaining the actual home planet of the Majat based on conflicting evidence found in various parts of the Alliance-Union universe corpus.


Alpha Mensae

* '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Alpha Mensae is orbited by three planets, one of which is Monk's Field, named for Dr. Edward Monk, who led the early 22nd century expedition that colonized the world later named for him. Originally, the planet was mined for its resources, which led to manufacturing, then shipbuilding, which led to the founding of Monk's Field Spaceways in 2172. Monk's Field is also the homeworld of Belton Aerospace, which builds PL 90 starliners for Spaceways (the PL 90 was introduced in 2173, and is well known for its reliability), and the Terran megacorporation Pan Star Enterprises owns several popular orbital resorts in the Alpha Mensae system. * ''The Stones From Which Meadows Grow'' (1998) is a short story by Wolf Read published in ''
Analog Science Fiction and Fact ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'' (March 1998). Goliath is a life-bearing planet that circles Alpha Mensae. The planet, amid a highly populated disk of planetesimals and protoplanets, is constantly pummelled by these bolides—hence the world's name. The frequent meteor impacts have critical implications for the indigenous life, and a human research facility located on one of the continents. A child who is fascinated by the impacts makes an important discovery while on a field trip.


Alpha Pavonis Alpha Pavonis (α Pavonis, abbreviated Alpha Pav, α Pav), formally named Peacock , is a binary star in the southern constellation of Pavo, near the border with the constellation Telescopium. Nomenclature ''α Pavonis'' ( Latinised t ...
(Peacock)

* ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. The planet Alpha Pavonis VII is the site of a crashed Ur-Quan Dreadnought, multiple items scavenged from the wreckage of which play a role in the plot.


Alpha Phoenicis Alpha Phoenicis (α Phoenicis, abbreviated Alpha Phe or α Phe), formally named Ankaa (distinguish Ancha, with the same pronunciation) is the brightest star in the constellation of Phoenix (constellation), Phoenix. Nomenclature ''Alp ...
(Ankaa)

* '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Alpha Phoenicis is orbited by four planets, one of which, Alpha Phoenicis II, has a planetary surface that is 86% water, and is called Synakkah Musfor by its highly advanced natives, the Synakkahans, who resemble bipedal lobsters. The Synakkahans are renowned for their advanced medical science, bringing many off-worlders to receive medical treatment; the Synakkahan underwater cities and gardens also attract many tourists. In 2218, they established Synakkah Frynysh spacelines to transport patients and tourists to their planet.


Alpha Trianguli Alpha Trianguli (α Trianguli, abbreviated Alpha Tri, α Tri) is a spectroscopic binary star in the constellation of Triangulum. Based on parallax measurements obtained during the Hipparcos mission, it is approximatel ...
(Mothallah)

* ''
The Romulan Way ''The Romulan Way'' is a ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' novel written by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood, and the second novel in the ''Rihannsu'' series. Plot Deep-cover Federation spy Agent Terise LoBrutto has her carefully maintained life d ...
'' (1987), ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' novel by
Diane Duane Diane Duane (born May 18, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author, long based in Ireland. Her works include the ''Young Wizards'' young adult fantasy series and the '' Rihannsu'' Star Trek novels. Biography Born in New York ...
and
Peter Morwood Peter Morwood (born 20 October 1956, Northern Ireland) is primarily a fantasy novelist and screenwriter, though he has also written works of science fiction; his best-known works include the ''Horse Lords'' series and the ''Tales of Old Russia'' ...
. The Treaty of Alpha Trianguli ends the war between the
United Federation of Planets In the fictional universe of ''Star Trek'' the United Federation of Planets (UFP) is the interstellar government with which, as part of its space force Starfleet, most of the characters and starships of the franchise are affiliated. Commonly refe ...
and the recently encountered
Romulan The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series ''Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The A ...
s, establishing the
Romulan Neutral Zone Several films and episodes of the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek'' are set in distinct astrographical regions of space. Some of these fictional locations exhibit anomalous physical properties; others are defined as sensitive buffer zones ...
demarcating the border between the Federation and the newly established
Romulan Star Empire The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise '' Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series '' Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The ...
.


Alpha Tucanae Alpha Tucanae (α Tuc, α Tucanae) is a binary star system in the southern circumpolar constellation of Tucana. With an apparent visual magnitude of 2.86, it can be seen with the naked eye from the southern hemisphere. Using parallax me ...

* ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. Alpha Tucanae I is the homeworld of the Zoq, Fot, and Pik species. The planet's fourth native sapient species, the Zebranky, preyed on the Zoq, Fot, and Pik until the three united to wipe them out. During the course of the game, the planet is attacked and orbitally bombarded by the Kohr-Ah, who will destroy all life on the planet unless the player defeats them in time.


Altair Altair is the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila and the twelfth-brightest star in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Aquilae, which is Latinised from α Aquilae and abbreviated Alpha Aql or ...
(Alpha Aquilae)

* '' The Winds of Altair'' (1983), novel written by
Ben Bova Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932November 29, 2020) was an American writer and editor. During a writing career of 60 years, he was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, an editor of '' Analog Science Fiction and F ...
. Earth is an old planet, and her masses are running out of resources and time. Jeff Holman has to discover a haven for Earth's suffering millions. Altair VI is one such world, and Holman is determined to terraform this alien planet into one where the human race can survive. "In his nonfiction and fiction alike, Ben Bova makes it clear that survival for the
uman Uman ( uk, Умань, ; pl, Humań; yi, אומאַן) is a city located in Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. Located in the historical region of the eastern Podolia, the city rests on the banks of the Umanka River ...
race lies elsewhere than on this planet
arth Arth is a village, a List of towns in Switzerland, town, and a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Schwyz District in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. The municipality consists of the villages Arth, Oberarth, and Goldau. The four ...
alone..." * '' Sunstorm'' (2005), novel written by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter. A
giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
planet that will plunge into the Sun "with the mass of fifteen Jupiters" has been launched toward the Solar System by the ''Firstborn'' intelligences of the Altair system. The Altarians, believing mankind to be a disorderly and profligate race, are determined to stop humanity from wastefully "infecting" the galaxy. At immense cost, the planetary missile has been launched on a collision course with the Solar System, with the intention of triggering a huge
solar flare A solar flare is an intense localized eruption of electromagnetic radiation in the Sun's atmosphere. Flares occur in active regions and are often, but not always, accompanied by coronal mass ejections, solar particle events, and other solar phe ...
that will sterilize the surface of the Earth, and possibly destroy humankind's ultimate refuge on Mars as well. Although illuminated by a spark of hope at the very end, this generally pessimistic tale marks a striking contrast to Clarke's usual liberal, optimistic view of the probable benefits of technology to the future of the human race.


Antares Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius. It has the Bayer designation α Scorpii, which is Latinised to Alpha Scorpii. Often referred to as "the heart of the scorpion", Antares is flanked by σ Scorpii and τ S ...
(Alpha Scorpii)

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (1940s onwards), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Antares is the home sun of the Shén, or Demon Warriors. * ''
The Stars My Destination ''The Stars My Destination'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Alfred Bester. Set in the 24th or 25th century, which varies between editions of the book, when humans have colonized the Solar System, it tells the story of Gully ull ...
'' (1956), science fiction novel (titled ''Tiger! Tiger!'' in the UK) written by
Alfred Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. He is best remembered for his science fiction, inclu ...
. After his apotheosis in the burning cathedral, the legendary Gully Foyle teleports stark naked to the vicinity of several stars, including Antares: "encircled by two hundred and fifty planetoids of the size of Mercury, of the climate of Eden". * In "
The Conscience of the King "The Conscience of the King" is the 13th episode of the first season of the American science-fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Barry Trivers and directed by Gerd Oswald, it was first aired on December 8, 1966. The episode tak ...
" (1966) and " The Changeling" (1967), episodes of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'', Lt.
Uhura Nyota Uhura () is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. In the Star Trek: The Original Series, original television series, the character was portrayed by Nichelle Nichols, who reprised the role for the first six List of Star Trek ...
sings the romantic song "Beyond Antares", including the stanza "The skies are green and glowing / Where my heart is / Where my heart is / Where ... the scented lunar flower is blooming / Somewhere, beyond the stars / Beyond Antares". These lyrics were written by Gene L. Coon. * ''Dray Prescot'' series (1972–1998), novels by
Kenneth Bulmer Henry Kenneth Bulmer (14 January 1921 – 16 December 2005) was a British author, primarily of science fiction. Life Born in London, he married Pamela Buckmaster on 7 March 1953. They had one son and two daughters, and they divorced in 1981. B ...
. A planet called Kregen orbiting Antares is the setting for this series. * ''
Alpha Scorpio ''Alpha Scorpio'' was a short-lived Australian children's science fiction television series, written and produced by James Davern, and which aired on ABC Television in 1974. It starred Peter Hepworth and Kevin Wilson as two university stu ...
'' (1974), children's television series produced by Janes Davern for
ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to: *ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or *ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia ABC Television or ABC ...
in Victoria, Australia (total of 6 episodes). Two university students are camping at
Aireys Inlet Aireys Inlet is a small coastal inlet and town located on the Great Ocean Road, southwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Aireys Inlet is located between Anglesea and Lorne, and joined with Fairhaven, Moggs Creek, and Eastern View to the ...
near Victoria where they witness an inexplicable series of events. The two soon discover that their pal Mirny, in disguise, is one of a cadre of extraterrestrials that has arrived on the Earth from Antares V. The series' title is a twisted
Bayer designation A Bayer designation is a stellar designation in which a specific star is identified by a Greek or Latin letter followed by the genitive form of its parent constellation's Latin name. The original list of Bayer designations contained 1,564 stars. ...
with the genitive ''scorpii'' of the constellation name replaced by the zodiacal ''scorpio'', possibly for reasons of familiarity or euphony. * '' Superman: Last Son of Krypton'' (1978), novel written by
Elliot S. Maggin Elliot S. Maggin, also spelled Elliot S! Maggin (born 1950), is an American writer of comic books, film, television, and novels. He was a main writer for DC Comics during the Bronze and early Modern ages of comics in the 1970s and 1980s. He is ...
. In this treatment of the Superman mythos, the planet
Krypton Krypton (from grc, κρυπτός, translit=kryptos 'the hidden one') is a chemical element with the symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas that occurs in trace amounts in the atmosphere and is often ...
revolves around Antares (which herein is named Rao). * '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' (1982), film written by
Jack B. Sowards Jack B. Sowards (March 18, 1929 - July 8, 2007) was an American screenwriter who wrote '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'', and the 1988 '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "Where Silence Has Lease". Sowards created the term Kobayashi ...
and directed by
Nicholas Meyer Nicholas Meyer (born December 24, 1945) is an American writer and director, known for his best-selling novel ''The Seven-Per-Cent Solution'', and for directing the films ''Time After Time (1979 film), Time After Time'', two of the ''Star Trek'' ...
.
Khan Khan may refer to: *Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan *Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name *Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
paraphrases Captain Ahab (from ''
Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship ''Pequod'', for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant whit ...
'' by
Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American people, American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his bes ...
) when he says that he will chase Admiral Kirk "around the ... Antares Maelstrom". * ''Antares Dawn'' (1986), first of the ''Antares Series'' of novels by Michael McCollum. A future human society, built on interstellar travel via "foldspace lines", is threatened when Antares goes supernova. * '' Out of This World'' (1987–1991), TV series created by
Bob Booker Robert Booker (born 25 January 1958) is an English former footballer who primarily played as a midfielder but often filled other roles in his later years. Born in Watford, England he started his career at Brentford in 1978 where he spent ten ...
. Half-Terran teenager Evie Garland (
Maureen Flannigan Maureen Osborne Flannigan (born December 30, 1973) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as teenager Evie Ethel Garland on the fantasy sitcom '' Out of This World'', which ran from 1987 to 1991. Early life Flannigan ...
) has a small set of extraterrestrial powers inherited from her father Troy (voice of
Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...
), an emissary from the world of Antares Prime. * ''Invasion of the Turtle Snatchers'' (1989), episode of the '' 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' animated television series. The Earth is visited by a family from a fictional planet orbiting Antares. They call themselves "Antarians", and dislike
violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or Power (social and p ...
. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al.'' Hundreds of light-years away from populated space, the Antares system will remain unpopulated for the foreseeable future since it has no planets. The binary companion Antares B is present in the game, but the characteristics of its orbit (a period of 140.8 years and a radius of 75.2 AU) are far below actual estimates. * ''The Scorpius Equation'' (1993), novel written by
Larry Townsend Larry Townsend (27 October 1930 – 29 July 2008) was the American author of dozens of books including ''Run, Little Leather Boy'' (1970) and ''The Leatherman's Handbook'' (1972), published by pioneer erotic presses such as Greenleaf Classics a ...
. Human beings are captured and forced into slavery by aliens from the Scorpius Empire, centered on the star Antares (the alpha star of the constellation Scorpio). * '' Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares'' (1996), computer-based strategy game designed by
Steve Barcia Steve Barcia is a game programmer, game producer and entrepreneur, having founded the computer game developer Simtex Studios Inc. in 1988. The company released computer games such as ''Master of Magic'', ''Master of Orion'', '' Master of Orion I ...
and Ken Burd. A conflict occurs between the Orions and the Antarans, who come from a planet called Antares. * '' Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War'' (1998), computer game developed by Volition and published by
Interplay Entertainment Interplay Entertainment Corp. is an American video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher based in Los Angeles. The company was founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by developers Brian Fargo, Jay Patel, Troy Worrell, and Rebecca ...
. Antares is the primary star of a planetary system that may be visited in the universe of this game. * ''
Antares Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius. It has the Bayer designation α Scorpii, which is Latinised to Alpha Scorpii. Often referred to as "the heart of the scorpion", Antares is flanked by σ Scorpii and τ S ...
'' (2007–2011), series of graphic novels by
Luiz Eduardo de Oliveira Luiz Eduardo de Oliveira (born December 13, 1944), more famous under his pen name Léo is a Brazilian comics creator. Biography After graduating as a mechanical engineer, Oliveira left Brazil because of the then military dictatorship. He lived ...
(Léo). The series, comprising four volumes, is set on the planet Antares. After the failure of the Betelgeuse colonisation mission, series heroine Kim is back on Earth. Meanwhile, advance scouts in the Antares system have witnessed some distressingly strange events. Worried about the future of this new mission, the sponsors of the Antares project call upon Kim to accompany the first colonists, offering legal amnesty for Alexa and Mark in exchange. *'' Analogue: A Hate Story'' (2012), visual novel/interactive game by Christine Love, set in the far future (compare her near-future prequel '' Digital: A Love Story''). The player character has the task of investigating the logs of the lost generation colony ship ''Mugunghwa'', which has been found drifting lifelessly around Antares' secondary companion star, Antares B. In doing so, the player communicates with and is helped by two artificial intelligences, *Hyun-ae and *Mute. * ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. Alpha Scorpii I is a "Shattered World", a planet terraformed by the Mycon using their organic "Deep Child" devices. It is one of three planets where Deep Child Eggcase Fragments, an item necessary to advance the plot, can be found. * ''
Uchu Sentai Kyuranger is a Japanese tokusatsu drama and the 41st entry of Toei's long-running ''Super Sentai'' metaseries, following ''Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger''. The show premiered on February 12, 2017, joining ''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'' and later ''Kamen Rider Build' ...
'' (2017),
tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, War film, war, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such te ...
TV series. It is shown that the Sasori Tribe of the Scorpius System has a forbidden technique called "Antares", which increases combat skills, but kills its user in the process. * ''
Saint Seiya , also known as ''Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac'' or simply ''Knights of the Zodiac'' (translated from the French title ''Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque''), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. It ...
''. Antares is the fifteenth and the last attack, called as the Scarlett Neddle, which is the most powerful attack of the Scorpius Gold Saint. * ''
Ghost Quartet ''Ghost Quartet'' is a musical song cycle written and composed by Dave Malloy. The show is described as "a song cycle about love, death, and whiskey. A camera breaks and four friends drink in four interwoven narratives spanning seven centuries" ...
'' (2015) Antares is the first star Rose Red sees in the Astronomer's telescope. *''Ward'' (2017–2020), sequel to the web serial ''
Worm Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always). Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete wor ...
'', written by Wildbow. Antares is the name taken by the superhero protagonist, Victoria Dallon. *''Stellaris Invicta Season 2'' (2020-), a dramatized version of the video game Stellaris that can be found on YouTube. Though not the actual Antares system, the Antares Confederacy, the empire that the story focuses on, is named after it.


Arcturus , - bgcolor="#FFFAFA" , Note (category: variability): , , H and K emission vary. Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Boötes. With an apparent visual magnitude of −0.05, it is the third-brightest of th ...
(Alpha Boötis)

* ''
A Voyage to Arcturus ''A Voyage to Arcturus'' is a novel by the Scottish writer David Lindsay, first published in 1920. An interstellar voyage is the framework for a narrative of a journey through fantastic landscapes. The story is set at Tormance, an imaginary pl ...
'' (1920), novel by David Lindsay. The story narrates a mystical inner passage through a sequence of fantastic landscapes, set on Tormance, an imaginary planet orbiting Arcturus—which in the novel (but not in reality) is a double star system, consisting of the stars Branchspell and Alppain. Ethical precepts and trials of the soul are embodied in the extraordinary Tormance lifeforms. ''Voyage'' is thought to have inspired C. S. Lewis, C. S. Lewis' ''The Space Trilogy, Cosmic Trilogy'' novels. * ''Death from a Distance'' (1935). Arcturus is prominent in the setting. * ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (1940s onwards), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Arcturus is the home sun of the Páchi Léi, or Forest Dwellers. * ''What Mad Universe'' (1949), novel written by Fredric Brown. In a parallel universe, human beings are engaged in total war with the Arcturians, who seek to conquer the Solar System and exterminate all beings other than themselves. Humans often refer to these creatures by the sharply derogatory epithet "Arcs". *Foundation series, ''Foundation'' series (1951–1993), novels by
Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
. List of Foundation universe planets#Arcturus, Arcturus (the planet) is a capital of the Sirius Sector in the Galactic Empire (Isaac Asimov), Galactic Empire. * ''Gordon R. Dickson#Novels, Alien From Arcturus'' (1956), expanded as ''Arcturus Landing'' (1978), novel by Gordon R. Dickson describing an attempt to build a ship with a faster-than-light propulsion system. The aliens in this novel, sublimated sex-objects, are decidedly cuddly, with shiny black noses, and a striking resemblance to the Ewoks of the ''Star Wars'' franchise. * "The Curse of Peladon" (1972), serial written by Brian Hayles for the television series ''Doctor Who''. Mars and Arcturus are depicted as old enemies. The Arcturan in the show is quite grotesque – a tentacled head in a glass dome mounted on a mechanized life support box that allows it to breathe in Peladon's atmosphere. * "The Teddysaurus" (1973), short story by James Hamilton-Paterson describes Arcturus V as an Earth-like planet with half of Earth's gravity and a pinkish sky. Sixty foot tall trees with long, translucent skin-coloured leaves dominate the landscape. The largest life form is the 'teddysaurus', a forty-foot high creature resembling teddy bears but with six legs, long fangs and golden fur. They are hunted nearly to extinction by bored rich humans in the 27th century. * The New Adventures of Wonder Woman (December 1977), in the episodes "Mind Stealers from Outer Space" parts 1 & 2; Arcturus is the homeworld of Andros. * '' Superman: Last Son of Krypton'' (December 1978), a novel by
Elliot S. Maggin Elliot S. Maggin, also spelled Elliot S! Maggin (born 1950), is an American writer of comic books, film, television, and novels. He was a main writer for DC Comics during the Bronze and early Modern ages of comics in the 1970s and 1980s. He is ...
, identifies Arcturus as the star around which the doomed world
Krypton Krypton (from grc, κρυπτός, translit=kryptos 'the hidden one') is a chemical element with the symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas that occurs in trace amounts in the atmosphere and is often ...
orbited before that planet exploded. Maggin also used the identification in two additional books, ''Miracle Monday'' (1981) and ''Kingdom Come (comics), Kingdom Come'' (1998). * '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'' (1979–1981), television series developed by Glen A. Larson. Arcturus is the home system of a race of telepaths. * ''
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comic science fiction, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally The Hitchhiker's Guide to th ...
'' (1978–1992), novels and other media by
Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' developed into a " ...
. Arcturus is the home of the enormous transport Arcturan Megafreighters, and also home to a staggering array of oversized and often deadly megafauna, from the Arcturan Megaleech to the Arcturan Megacamel, well known by the turn of phrase "one's soul moves at the speed of an Arcturan Megacamel". The supercomputer Deep Thought boasts that "The Great Hyperlobic Omni-Cognate Neutron Wrangler could talk all four legs off an Arcturan Megadonkey, but only I could persuade it to go for a walk afterwards." * ''The Black Hole (film), The Black Hole'' (1979). ''Arcturus 10'' is the name of a spacecraft manufactured by and for the United Kingdom, UK space program in the year 2130 AD. * ''Terran Trade Authority#Spacecraft 2000-2100 AD, Spacecraft 2000–2100 AD'' (1978), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. In 2029, a series of Pathfinder FTL probes were sent to
Alpha Centauri Alpha Centauri ( Latinized from α Centauri and often abbreviated Alpha Cen or α Cen) is a triple star system in the constellation of Centaurus. It consists of 3 stars: Alpha Centauri A (officially Rigil Kentaurus), Alpha Centaur ...
, Vega and Arcturus. The Pathfinder Arcturus probe found two habitable planets, one of which is very similar to Earth, and in 2078 the colony ship ''Voyager'' was sent to colonize the Earth-like world. In 2090, another colony ship, ''Voyager II'', was sent to Arcturus, accompanied by a ''Connestoga''-class super-freighter. In 2102, ''Voyager III'' embarked on its journey to Arcturus, along with two Connestogas, one of which became a recharging facility halfway between Arcturus and Sol. Before the recharging station was established, a one-way trip from Sol to Arcturus took eight years. * ''Return from the Stars'' (1980), English translation of the 1961 Polish language novel by Stanislaw Lem. The novel tells the story of the astronaut Hal Bregg, who returns to Earth after a 127-year mission to Arcturus (Fomalhaut in the Polish original). * ''The Book of Dreams (Vance novel), The Book of Dreams'' (1981), novel by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. Arcturus is the home sun of the planet Arcturus IV, where master criminal Howard Alan Treesong is accosted in a back street of Bugtown by a petty thief. The mugger, it turns out, is not registered with the Organization. He receives a tongue lashing, but not one cent from Howard, who turns him in for a fink. * ''Aliens (film), Aliens'' (1986), film written and directed by
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
. Arcturus is a planet visited on furlough by the unit of Colonial Marines now accompanying protagonist Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). * ''
2300 AD ''2300 AD'', originally titled ''Traveller: 2300'', is a tabletop science fiction role-playing game created by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) and first published in 1986. Publication history GDW created the popular science fiction role-playing ...
'' (1986), role-playing game designed by the
Game Designers' Workshop Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers. History Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding m ...
. The Arcturus system is the location of Station Arcture, a human research station invaded by the alien race of Kafers. In the game module "Mission Arcturus", players are required to retake the station from the Kafers. * ''Spaced Invaders'' (1990), satirical film written by Patrick Read Johnson and Scott Lawrence Alexander, and directed by Patrick Read Johnson. The Martians are fighting a war with the "Arcturians", from the Arcturus system (compare Arcturus: "The Curse of Peladon" above). * ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. The Arcturus system contains the homeworld of a now-extinct race called the Burvixese. In this game, Alpha Boötis is represented (contrafactually) as a separate system in another part of the galaxy as well as an orange dwarf instead of the orange giant actually is. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The Arcturus system's sole habitable planet Discovery is a member of the Federation that was colonized in 2304. Arcturus is infamous for being the home system of the deadly (and exceedingly popular) narcotic known as ''Arcturan Megaweed'' (compare Arcturus: ''
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comic science fiction, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally The Hitchhiker's Guide to th ...
'' above). * ''A Million Open Doors'' (1993), first in the series of four ''John Barnes (author)#Thousand Cultures series, Thousand Cultures'' novels by John Barnes (author), John Barnes. In this novel A Million Open Doors#Planets referenced, Wilson, the home planet of protagonist Giraut Leones, orbits Arcturus. In the series, Wilson is home to a single culture, ''Nou Occitan'', based on Occitan literature. The four novels in the series examine the effects of globalization on isolated societies. * ''Escape Velocity Nova'' (2002), computer game developed and published by Ambrosia Software. The Arcturus system is a remote but well-travelled Federation system whose main income derives from mining on the planet Fermia. * ''
Mass Effect ''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univers ...
'' (2007), videogame developed by
BioWare BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1995 by newly graduated Doctor of Medicine, medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, alongside Trent Oster, Brent Oster, and Marcel Zes ...
and published by
Microsoft Game Studios Xbox Game Studios (previously known as Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, and Microsoft Games) is an American video game publisher and part of the Microsoft Gaming division based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, ...
. According to the game story information, the Solar System's only mass relay, once the core of the moon Charon (moon), Charon of the dwarf planet Pluto, is linked to a relay orbiting Arcturus, which is a hub of several other relays. Arcturus Station, the capital of the human ''Systems Alliance'', was founded and built in this advantageous location. * ''Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (2011–present), Arcturus is the name of an Anacondrai General Arcturus who was banished to the Cursed Realm by the Elemental Masters. The people of Ninjago named one of the zodiac after the general. * In the film ''Passengers (2016 film), Passengers'' (2016), there is a sequence where the two main characters (Jim and Aurora) see Arcturus during their journey, as part of a Gravity assist, gravity sling around the star, as the starship ''Avalon'' is traveling at half the speed of light. * ''Harry Potter'' (1997–2007), fantasy novels written by J. K. Rowling. Arcturus Black III was the paternal grandfather of Sirius Black. Members of the Black family were commonly named after stars. * ''The Simpsons'', in the episode You Only Move Twice Homer takes a job at Globex Corporation working on a project revealed to be called "Project Arcturus"


Atlas (star), Atlas (27 Tauri)

* The 2018 video game ''Starlink: Battle for Atlas'' is set in a fictional solar system around Atlas.


Barnard's Star

Barnard's Star is a red dwarf of apparent magnitude 9 and is thus too dim to be seen with the unaided eye. However, at approximately 6 light-years away it is the second-closest stellar system to the Sun; only the Alpha Centauri system is known to be closer. Intense Stellar flare, stellar flares were observed in 1998 and 2019, so in reality habitation may be difficult. * ''The Legion of Space'' (1934), magazine series and later (1947) a fix-up written by Jack Williamson. Barnard's Star is host to a gigantic planet that is populated by ferocious animals, and that is home to the single city of the ancient and dreadful race of the Medusae. * ''The Black Corridor'' (1969), novel by Michael Moorcock. The planet Munich 15040 orbiting Barnard's Star is the destination for a band of refugees fleeing social breakdown on the Earth. * ''Blindpassasjer'' (1978), Norwegian television series by Jon Bing and Tor Åge Bringsværd. Barnard's Star is orbited by Rossum, a planet inhabited by robots that, inexplicably, have the semblance of pre-industrial European agricultural laborers. * ''Terran Trade Authority#Spacecraft 2000-2100 AD, Spacecraft 2000–2100 AD'' (1978), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. A planet in the Barnard's Star system is haunted by a peculiar apparition that takes the form of a mysterious spacecraft. * ''
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comic science fiction, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally The Hitchhiker's Guide to th ...
'' (1978–1993), novels and other media by
Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' developed into a " ...
. Barnard's Star is a way station for interstellar travelers. * ''The Alien Encounters'' (1979), film written and directed by James T. Flocker. It is an American B movie which follows the story of an investigator who is sent to locate an alien probe which has landed on Earth. Aliens from Barnard's Star have created a machine known as a ''betaron'' which has remarkable rejuvenating effects. * ''Galactica Discovers Earth'' (1980), triple episode and novelization by Michael Resnick from the television series ''Galactica 1980''. Dr. Zee conjectures that the Cylon (Battlestar Galactica), Cylons are located at Barnard's Star, awaiting the Galacticans' arrival at the Earth, before making their final strike. * ''
Downbelow Station ''Downbelow Station'' is a science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982, was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year, and was named by ''Locus'' magazine as one of ...
'' (1981) and other Alliance-Union universe works, novels by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. Barnard's Star is the site of Alpha Station, the first station out from the Earth on the "Great Circle" chain of space stations that terminates at Pell Station in the Tau Ceti system. * ''Rocheworld'' (1985), novel by
Robert L. Forward Robert Lull Forward (August 15, 1932 – September 21, 2002) was an American physicist and science fiction writer. His literary work was noted for its scientific credibility and use of ideas developed from his career as an aerospace engineer. He ...
. Barnard's star is orbited by the double planet Rocheworld, comprising Roche (rock) and Eau (water). The first human settlers travel to Barnard's Star using a laser-pumped light sail, on a journey lasting 40 years. * ''Hyperion Cantos, Hyperion'' (1989–1997), novels by
Dan Simmons Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948) is an American science fiction and horror writer. He is the author of the Hyperion Cantos and the Ilium/Olympos cycles, among other works which span the science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres, sometimes wi ...
. Barnard's Star is the sun of the agricultural planet Barnard's World, where it hangs above the leafy streets "like a great, tethered, red balloon". It is the homeworld of Rachel and Hyperion (Simmons novel)#The Scholar's Tale: "The River Lethe's Taste is Bitter", Sol Weintraub. * ''The Garden of Rama'' (1991), novel by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee. There is a way station at Barnard's Star for the arrival and departure of massive cylindrical world ships. * ''Robert L. Forward#Novels, Timemaster'' (1992), novel by
Robert L. Forward Robert Lull Forward (August 15, 1932 – September 21, 2002) was an American physicist and science fiction writer. His literary work was noted for its scientific credibility and use of ideas developed from his career as an aerospace engineer. He ...
. A billionaire makes a six-year journey to the Barnard's Star system to open a wormhole in 2049. * ''Marooned on Eden'' (1993), novel by
Robert L. Forward Robert Lull Forward (August 15, 1932 – September 21, 2002) was an American physicist and science fiction writer. His literary work was noted for its scientific credibility and use of ideas developed from his career as an aerospace engineer. He ...
with Margaret Dodson Forward. The starship ''Prometheus'' takes a crew on a 40-year mission to Zuni, an inhabitable moon orbiting the planet Gargantua of Barnard's Star. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. Barnard's Star is an important Federation industrial system, close to Earth and the other Core Systems, and possessing thriving mining and refining industries. In the games, it is a good place for beginners to start their trading activities—there are no pirates in the system, and profits are lucrative. The star has the same fictional planetary system in ''
Elite Dangerous ''Elite Dangerous'' is a space flight simulation game developed and published by Frontier Developments. The player takes the role of a pilot (colloquially referred to as "Commander" or "CMDR") of a spaceship, and explores a realistic 1:1 scale, ...
'', where it has an extraction economy. * ''Terminal Velocity (video game), Terminal Velocity'' (1995), video game developed by Terminal Reality and published by 3D Realms. The game has three episodes, the first of which is distributed as shareware. Each episode features three different worlds, making a total of nine levels. In the first level of the first episode, game play takes place on Ymir, a planet orbiting Barnard's Star. * ''The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring'' (1996), a novella that appeared in ''
Analog Science Fiction and Fact ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'' (June 1997) by Wolf Read. A double planet orbiting within the habitable zone of Barnard's star has unusually fast seasons due to a short year relative to the Earth. A world with a high amount of land area, the troposphere is impoverished in water vapor save for coastal regions. In essence, the moderating effect of the oceans is reduced compared to the Earth, a contributing factor to the rapid seasonal response. * ''Traveller (role-playing game)#GURPS Traveller (1998, SJG), GURPS Traveller'' (1998), role-playing game designed by the
Game Designers' Workshop Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers. History Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding m ...
. Barnard's Star is the first interstellar destination for jump ships from the Earth. The Barnard's Star system supports a colony of humans from the Vilani Imperium. * ''DarkSpace'' (2001), Massively multiplayer online role-playing game, MMORPG developed by Palestar and published by Got Game Entertainment. Barnard's Star and its planetary system are a gaming location in ''DarkSpace''. * ''Life on Another Planet'' (2007), graphic novel written and drawn by Will Eisner. The storyline concerns the reaction of humans on Earth after a signal is detected from intelligent beings on a planet orbiting Barnard's Star. * ''Saucerers and Gondoliers'', a children's science fiction novel by Dominic Green (science fiction writer), Dominic Green, in which Barnard's Star is orbited by the ill-fated American colony of New Dixie. * ''Evacuate Earth'' (2012), a documentary by the National Geographic Channel, in which Barnard's Star is discovered to harbor the habitable planet Barnard C352, most commonly referred to as Earth 2.0, the selected location for humanity as a rogue neutron star destroys the Earth. * ''The Prox Transmissions'' (2015), novel wrote by Dustin Bates of Starset, telling the backstory of the fictitious Starset Society. It centers around a scientist at SETI Institute, SETI receiving a transmission from the year 2047 and trying to decrypt it while avoiding the powerful and dangerous USCOO organization. *Stellaris (video game), ''Stellaris'' (2016), real-time grand strategy game set in space designed by Paradox Interactive. Barnard's Star and its planets are one of the in-game star systems which players can colonize. *''Barnard's Star'' (2018), single comic strip about Barnard's star. *''Frenner 2'' (1985), one of the first extrasolar colonies in ''FTL:2448'' RPG.


Beta Aquarii (Sadalsuud)

* ''Rhialto the Marvellous'' (1984), "Dying Earth" novel by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. Beta Aquarii controls a planet of the same name, Sadal Suud (two words). In this novel, set in the last days of the Earth, the witches battle the wizards (including Rhialto himself). Llorio the Murthe is a witch; her home is on Sadal Suud. But the planet is "a steaming quagmire infested by owls, gnats and rodents: quite unsuitable for one of [her] delicacy". * ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. Beta Aquarii I, known as Fahz, is the homeworld of the List of Star Control races#Utwig, Utwig, who claim to have arisen from a location on the planet known as the Murky Bog. * ''Starman Jones'' (1953), one of the Heinlein juveniles by Robert A. Heinlein. Beta Aquarii X, named Nova Terra, is an Earth colony, described as better than Earth ever was. * ''Baten Kaitos Origins'' (2006), video game produced by Monolith Soft. One of the Five Great Nations, although written as "Sadal Suud"


Beta Aquilae (Alshain)

* ''Terran Trade Authority#SpaceWreck: Ghostships and Derelicts of Space, SpaceWreck: Ghost Ships and Derelicts of Space'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. The story "The Warworld of Alshain" is set on Alshain IV, a dying world inhabitaged by a race once technologically advanced, but now reduced to cannibalistic savagery who haunt the ruins of their once great civilization. * "Eye of the Beholder (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Eye of the Beholder" (1994), episode of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' written by René Echevarria (teleplay) and
Brannon Braga Brannon Braga (; born August 14, 1965) is an American television producer, director and screenwriter. Best known for his work in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, Braga was a key creative force behind three of the franchise's live action series. He la ...
(story). This episode establishes Beta Aquilae II as Federation territory in the 24th century, home to a human population and a Starfleet training installation. * ''FreeSpace 2'' (1999), combat simulation computer game designed by Dave Baranec ''et al.'', and published by Volition. In 2358 a constitution was signed at the Beta Aquilae system later to be known as the Beta Aquilae Convention (BETAC). BETAC consolidated power in the Galactic Terran Vasudan Alliance as the supreme authority in all of Terran-Vasudan space. * American progressive thrash metal band Vektor (band), Vektor prominently features Alshain in the mythos of its 2016 concept album ''Terminal Redux.'' The story's titular character, a frenzied astronaut, retrieves a life-giving molecule from the destroyed star Alshain which "revitalizes him and extends his life".


Beta Aurigae (Menkalinan)

* "Turnabout Intruder" (1969), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by Arthur H. Singer. The mission of the USS ''Enterprise'' to rendezvous with the USS ''Potemkin'' at Beta Aurigae is undermined by a body-switching struggle between Captain Kirk and his onetime intimate, Dr. Janice Lester. * '' Great Space Battles'' (1979) and ''Terran Trade Authority#SpaceWreck: Ghost Ships and Derelicts of Space, SpaceWreck: Ghostships and Derelicts of Space'' (1979), ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' books by Stewart Cowley. Menkalinan has a resource-rich asteroid belt that hosts Gentlemen's Dig, a large and highly profitable asteroid mining operation. * ''To the Stars (trilogy)#Wheelworld, Wheelworld'' (1981), novel by Harry Harrison. Beta Aurigae has a system of six planets; the third planet Halvmörk is the only habitable one. The novel's protagonist must lead colonists on a hazardous journey after re-supply ships from Earth fail to appear on schedule. Contrary to fact, Beta Aurigae is a white dwarf in this novel.


Beta Caeli

* ''Alien Legacy'' (1994), video strategy game developed by Joe Ybarra and published by Sierra Entertainment. The game includes elements of city construction, research, Resource management (gaming), resource management, industrial production and combat, all starting with the arrival of the colony ship UNS ''Calypso'' together with its player/captain at the planet Gaea in the Beta Caeli star system. Another ship, the UNS ''Tantalus'', was dispatched to Beta Caeli after ''Calypso'', but because of intervening advances in technology it arrived first.


Beta Canum Venaticorum (Chara)

* '' Great Space Battles'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley and Charles Herridge. The short story "The Hunters of Asterion" describes Asterion (another name for Beta Canum Venaticorum) having two planets; Asterion II is a human farming world that developed an unusual culture of farmers, protected by "Hunters", a formidable warrior caste. Asterion II has several dangerous predatory animal species, such as the Great White-Maned Tooteez and the Wooswoos, which were ritually hunted for sport by the Hunters. * ''
2300 AD ''2300 AD'', originally titled ''Traveller: 2300'', is a tabletop science fiction role-playing game created by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) and first published in 1986. Publication history GDW created the popular science fiction role-playing ...
'' (1986), role-playing game designed by the
Game Designers' Workshop Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers. History Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding m ...
. Beta Canum is a garden planet orbiting Beta Canum Venaticorum, and it houses three colonies (British, German and French), as well as the alien enclave of the Pentapods. * ''The Chara Talisman'' (2011), a T-Space (terraformed space) book by Alastair Mayer, an expansion of his Analog Science Fiction and Fact, ''Analog'' short story "Stone Age". A seemingly primitive talisman turns out to have a high-tech interior, and the star pattern engraved on its surface points to Chara (Beta Canum Venaticorum). An expedition to the long-ago terraformed world Chara III turns up an alien pyramid, evidence that archaeologist Hannibal Carson has been looking for to back his theory of ancient spacefarers.


Beta Corvi (Kraz)

* ''Starman Jones'' (1953), novel written by Robert A. Heinlein. Beta Corvi III is a planet with humanoid inhabitants. *''
The Ship Who Sang ''The Ship Who Sang'' (1969) is a science fiction novel by American writer Anne McCaffrey, a fix-up of five stories published 1961 to 1969. By an alternate reckoning, "The Ship Who Sang" is the earliest of the stories, a novelette, which became ...
'' (1969), fixup of short stories by
Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-Irish writer known for the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, ''Weyr Search'', 19 ...
. In the fourth tale, "Dramatic Mission", the main character, Helva, travels to the
gas giant A gas giant is a giant planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Gas giants are also called failed stars because they contain the same basic elements as a star. Jupiter and Saturn are the gas giants of the Solar System. The term "gas giant" ...
Beta Corvi IV, meeting the "Beta Corviki", a sentient race who live on the planet. * ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. The gas giant Beta Corvi IV, or Source, is home to a sentient species of incandescent gas bags called the Slylandro. ''Star Control II'' used names of real constellations and stars for fictional stars: In the game, Beta Corvi is a green dwarf instead of a bright yellow giant. The game's optional side quest to this planet is an homage to Anne McCaffrey's short story (q.v.).


Beta Crucis (Mimosa)

The 1968 science fiction novel '' Satan's World'', by
Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...
, deals with the consequences of a rogue planet encountering Beta Crucis. The 2002 science fiction novel '' Schild's Ladder'', by Greg Egan in its prologue depicts the huge scientific lab located in outer space in 6 light months from Mimosa.


Beta Draconis (Rastaban)

* ''Terran Trade Authority#SpaceWreck: Ghost Ships and Derelicts of Space, SpaceWreck: Ghostships and Derelicts of Space'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Alwaid, another name for Beta Draconis, was the destination of the generation ship ''Jancis Jo'', which set out for Alwaid in the early 22nd century.


Beta Eridani (Cursa)

* ''Madsen Pirie#Fiction, The Waters of Andros'' (2007), novel by Madsen Pirie. Pirie writes, "Andros is a beautiful and perfectly formed blue jewel of a planet, sparkling in the blackness of space. It is far away, circling the distant [89 ly] star Beta Eridani." * ''The Art of the Impossible'', 2003 ''Star Trek: The Lost Era'' novel by Keith R. A. DeCandido. Cursa is the primary of a planetary system controlled by the Klingon Empire, and is attacked by the Cardassian Union in the year 2333. * ''Star Trek Online'' (2010), video game by Cryptic Studios. Cursa is the site of the mission "Test of Mettle", in which the newly promoted Klingon Defense Force player character takes their newest ship on a shakedown cruise and is attacked by warriors from the recently dissolved House of Torg.


Beta Fornacis

* ''Terran Trade Authority#SpaceWreck: Ghost Ships and Derelicts of Space, SpaceWreck: Ghostships and Derelicts of Space'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. In the short story "Children of the Gods", set in the mid-25th century, a smuggling ship lands on the Earth-like world of Beta Fornacis III while on the run from Terran Federation authorities, and discovers a friendly alien race inhabiting that planet.


Beta Hydri

* ''H. Beam Piper#Themes and hallmarks, Uller Uprising,'' (1952), a novel by H. Beam Piper. Uller, a colonized planet with silicon-based life forms, is in the Beta Hydri system. * ''Time for the Stars'' (1956), a novel by Robert A. Heinlein, Robert Heinlein. This novel explores the twin paradox as one of a pair of twins linked by instantaneous telepathy sets out on a space voyage on the interstellar torchship ''Lewis and Clark''. Among the stars visited is Beta Hydri. * ''A Canticle for Leibowitz'' (1959), a novel by Walter M. Miller Jr. In the last part of the novel, ''Fiat Voluntas Tua'', Beta Hydri is briefly mentioned as one of the few existing extrasolar colonies of humanity in the year 3781. * "Judith Merril#Selected works, Daughters of Earth" (1968), a short story by Judith Merril. In 2091, the star's second planet Uller is colonized by the 500 crew members of the starship ''Newhope'' after a 43-year voyage (compare Beta Hydri: ''Uller Uprising'' above). * ''The Man in the Maze (novel), The Man in the Maze'' (1969), a novel by Robert Silverberg. A science-fiction rework of Sophocles' "Philoctetes" set in a future where humans are actively exploring distant space – Muller, the central character living alone in self-imposed exile in a lethal maze constructed by long-extinct aliens, has been altered by current uncommunicative aliens living on Beta Hydri IV to broadcast intolerably depressive emotion telepathically, but because of this unique characteristic must be persuaded to assist humanity to communicate their consciousness to another expanding telepathic species with the capability to take over and control large human communities. * '' Great Space Battles'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley and Charles Herridge. The book's first half, "Part One—The Laguna Wars", is the story of a war in 2219–2220 between the Terrans and the inhabitants of Laguna IX, which is identified as Beta Hydri in one illustration. The book also mentions Laguna VII, the only source of the medicine which prevents a devastating disease. * ''Terran Trade Authority#SpaceWreck: Ghost Ships and Derelicts of Space, SpaceWreck: Ghostships and Derelicts of Space'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Silvermine in the Beta Hydri system is the origin of the derelict freighter which is the focus of the plot. * Beta Hydri is one of the six star systems in the ''Star Trader (board game), Star Trader'' board game (1982) set in SPI's ''Universe (role-playing game), Universe'' role-playing game. The others are Epsilon Eridani, Gamma Leporis, Mu Herculis, Sigma Draconis, and Tau Ceti. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993), '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995) and '' Elite: Dangerous'' (2014), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al.'' Beta Hydri is controlled by the Federation. The player needs a permit to enter the system. It has two earthlike planets with a population of several billions. * ''Calculating God'' (2000), a novel written by Robert J. Sawyer. The character Hollus, an alien whose species calls themselves the Forhilnor, is from the fictional third planet in the Beta Hydri system, Beta Hydri III. *''Earth and Beyond'' (2002), an MMORPG that was the last game developed by Westwood Studios. The game featured several star systems that could be visited by players, including Beta Hydri. The Beta Hydri system as depicted featured seven planets, six of which were named for Mercury program astronauts. Astronaut Wally Schirra was omitted from the list, but a moon in one of the planetary systems was named for him. * ''Stellvia'' (2003), an anime television series written by Ichirō Ōkouchi ''et al''. The Earth of the year 2167 AD is devastated by a powerful electromagnetic pulse caused when a nearby star, "Hydrus Beta", goes supernova. This fictional star is loosely based on Beta Hydri; it is 20 light-years away from the Earth, compared to 24.4 light-years for the real star. * ''Joe Haldeman#Literary works, Old Twentieth'' (2005), a novel by
Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including ''The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), have wo ...
. The novel is set in a generation ship which is destined for Beta Hydri. * ''Seed (2006 video game), Seed'' (2006), MMORPG developed by Runestone Game Development. The first of five interstellar ''seed ships'' that will terraform and then colonize extrasolar planets is dispatched to a planet of Beta Hydri that has an atmosphere, water and living microorganisms. * ''The Marann'' (2013), a PRISM award-winning novel by Christie Meierz, and first of a series. The novel is set on the fictional fourth planet in the Beta Hydri system, called Tolar by its inhabitants. A somewhat "King and I" story, in which a schoolteacher is sent from Earth to tutor the daughter of the planet's ruler.


Beta Leporis (Nihal)

* '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Nihal hosts a system of seven planets, three of which are inhabited. Nihalan is the homeworld of the Nihalans, an advanced alien race who allowed the Terran Federation to mine the planet for its extensive mineral deposits, in exchange for humanity assisting the Nihalans with bringing tourists and income to their world, which is renowned for its religious monuments of profound size. Nihalan Imphit passenger line was founded in 2219.


Beta Librae (Zubeneschamali)

* ''Theodore Sturgeon#Collections published during Sturgeon's lifetime, The Golden Helix'' (1979), collection of short stories by Theodore Sturgeon. The title story "The Golden Helix" is set on a planet circling Beta Librae. * ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. The List of Star Control races#Supox, Supox Utricularia come from Beta Librae I. They call the star "Root" and the planet "Vlik", which means "Perfectly Good and Nutritious Dirt" (although their ships' translation system translated it as "Earth", initially causing some confusion).


Beta Pavonis

* ''Terran Trade Authority#SpaceWreck: Ghost Ships and Derelicts of Space, SpaceWreck: Ghostships and Derelicts of Space'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. A massive space "graveyard" of derelict spacefaring vessels (including ships of Earth and Proxima Centauri, Proximan origin) was discovered in orbit of a planet in the Beta Pavonis system, which was the source of jury-rigged spaceships illegally sold to the Terran miners of Alpha Indi II, by a group of scavengers called "Jackers".


Beta Phoenicis

* '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. By the mid-23rd century, the Beta Phoenicis system was the most complex solar system yet discovered, with 27 planets, three large asteroid belts, and one habitable moon, Esthymon; in order to bring in the millions of galactic tourists wanting to visit Esthymon's thousands of ultra-luxurious hotels and resorts, Esthymon National Spacelines was founded in 2231. Esthymon is also the homeworld of Wildway Tours, which specializes in tourism and adventure holidays on unexplored worlds, and Challenge Express, a high-speed transport service.


Beta Pyxidis

* '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. A planet in the Beta Pyxidis system is the homeworld of GMA Transport (founded in 2194) and Aquatours, subsidiary companies of the Galactic Mining Association. The companies are known for low-cost, basic passenger services and underwater mining tours, respectively. In 2251, Archaeo Tours was created to comfortably transport tourists to worlds where scientific research is underway. Archaeo Tours is also known for their excellent science education facilities aboard their passenger liners.


Beta Tauri (El Nath)

* "The Galileo Seven" (1967), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by Oliver Crawford and Shimon Wincelberg, S. Bar-David. Mr. Spock and other crew members of the USS ''Enterprise'' are exploring the Murasaki 312 phenomenon in the #7 shuttlecraft. Soon after launch, the shuttle is pulled off course and out of the ''Enterprise's'' sensor range. Spock makes an emergency landing on the planet Taurus II, a rocky, fog-shrouded world that is the second planet of Beta Tauri.


Beta Ursae Majoris (Merak)

*In the original ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' episode "The Cloud Minders", the planet Merak II is said to be suffering from a botanical plague that can only be treated by the use of the mineral zenite. *The video game ''Devil Survivor 2'' features Merak, alongside the other stars of the Big Dipper, as the Septentrione, strange beings that appear in Japan on each day of the game. Merak features on the 2nd day in Osaka, Japan. *In the anime ''
Saint Seiya , also known as ''Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac'' or simply ''Knights of the Zodiac'' (translated from the French title ''Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque''), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. It ...
'', also known as ''Knights of the Zodiac'', the ''List of Saint Seiya anime-only characters#Odin's God Warriors, God Warriors'' are the main antagonists during the Asgard arc, each star of the Big Dipper serves as a guardian for each ''God Warrior''. Hagen is the name of the ''God Warrior'' representing the star Beta Merak.


Beta Virginis (Zavijava)

* ''Tau Zero'' (1970), novel by
Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...
. The novel follows the crew of the starship ''Leonora Christine'', a colonization vessel crewed by 25 men and 25 women aiming to reach Beta Virginis III, which an instrumented probe has pronounced habitable. Powered by a Bussard ramjet, the ship malfunctions and ends up going faster and faster, ever approaching the speed of light. Presently the crew must face the fact that, due to relativistic time contraction, they have long outlived the rest of humanity. * In the Orion's Arm worldbuilding project, Beta Virginis is home to one of humanity's early interstellar colonies, the oceanic planet of Pacifica.


Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis)

* The Cthulhu Mythos (1921- ), fictional universe created by H. P. Lovecraft ''et al''. In August Derleth, August Derleth's interpretation of the Mythos, Betelgeuse is the home of the benign Cthulhu Mythos deities#Elder Gods, Elder Gods. * ''Frederic Prokosch#Works, Storm and Echo'' (1948), novel by Frederic Prokosch. Prokosch wrote "travel novels" that were a blend of travelogue, story, philosophy, symbolism, and fantasy. In ''Storm and Echo'', a story about tropical travels, he wrote: "And that night for the first time I came face to face with it. The real unutterable thing: the thing I'd never dared to visualize. Death. My own death. The possibility, corrupt and glaring, of my own extinction. It was like swimming alone at night in a hot, shoreless sea. I felt abominably alone. Twelve men and a woman marching in a column through the Equator. No other trace of humanity. No trace of history even. It might for all we knew have been the wastes of ''Betelgeuse''." * "Shell Game (short story), Shell Game" (1954), short story by Philip K. Dick. A group of paranoid mental patients long stranded on Betelgeuse II discover the remains of their shipwrecked hospital vessel "sunk in the half-liquid ooze that made up the surface of Betelgeuse II. Nocturnal phosphorescence danced and flitted over the bog." * ''The Red Eye of Betelgeuse'' [''Rotes Auge Beteigeuze''] and ''The Earth Dies'' [''Die Erde Stirbt''] (1962), installments 48–49 [40–41 in the U.S. edition] of the Perry Rhodan series of space-opera pulp novelettes, both installments written by Walter Ernsting as by Clark Darlton. In these installments of the long-running English version of the [originally German] series, Perry Rhodan battles the Springers (a race of merchants descended from the Arkonides of the Great Imperium in Messier 13, globular cluster M13) who plan to colonize the Earth. Rhodan has to simulate the destruction of our world in order to divert the ever more intrusive Springers, and give humanity the time it needs to develop into a galactic power. Deceived by him, and believing it to be the Earth, the Springers attack Betelgeuse III and destroy it. * ''Planet of the Apes (novel), Planet of the Apes'' (1963), novel by Pierre Boulle. Professor Antelle, a scientific genius of Earth, has invented a spaceship that can travel at nearly the speed of light. He and his companions voyage to the star Betelgeuse, said to be "about three hundred light years distant from our planet", and "emit[ting] red and orange lights"; at the end of their spacefaring they awaken from Cryonics, cryosleep to discover themselves near an earthlike planet that they name Soror (Sister). The crew lands, is overcome by a tribe of primitive humans, and then captured by intelligent gorillas and chimpanzees, who enslave them and treat them as dumb beasts. At the novel's climax, they make a startling discovery about the history of Soror. They escape and return to the Earth, where they make an even more startling discovery.


Canopus (Alpha Carinae)

* ''Edmond Hamilton#Writing career, Interstellar Patrol'' (1929-1930), series by
Edmond Hamilton Edmond Moore Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1977) was an American writer of science fiction during the mid-twentieth century. Early life Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. So ...
. Canopus is the headquarters of the Interstellar patrol and seat of the great Council of Suns. * ''Edmond Hamilton#Writing career, The Star Kings'' (1947), novel by
Edmond Hamilton Edmond Moore Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1977) was an American writer of science fiction during the mid-twentieth century. Early life Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. So ...
. Canopus is a capital of the Middle Galactic Empire. * ''Star Bridge'' (1955), novel by James Gunn (author), James Gunn and Jack Williamson. The scattered planets are held together by the Eron Company, holder—at least apparently—of the secret of faster-than-light travel through the Tubes. The Tubes are powered by drawing energy from the star Canopus. * ''
The Stars My Destination ''The Stars My Destination'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Alfred Bester. Set in the 24th or 25th century, which varies between editions of the book, when humans have colonized the Solar System, it tells the story of Gully ull ...
'' (1956), classic science fiction novel (titled ''Tiger! Tiger!'' in the UK) written by
Alfred Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. He is best remembered for his science fiction, inclu ...
. After his apotheosis in the burning cathedral, the legendary Gully Foyle teleports stark naked to the vicinity of several stars, including Canopus. * ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' (1965) and other novels in the ''Dune'' universe by
Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
. The third planet from Canopus is the desert planet Arrakis (Dune), the only source Melange (fictional drug), melange, the most important and valuable substance in the Dune universe. * "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (1966), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by Samuel A. Peeples. The fictional sonnet ''Nightingale Woman'' is ascribed as written by "Tarbolde of Canopus" in the year 1996. * "The Time Tunnel#Episodes, The Kidnappers" (1967), episode 28 of the television series ''The Time Tunnel'' created by
Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film gen ...
. The time travelers are transported to a planet orbiting Canopus to rescue Dr. Ann MacGregor, whose abductor left behind a metallic computer card providing the coordinates. In the episode, the distance from the Earth to Canopus is given as 98 light-years, a value within the broad Canopus#Physical properties, range of distances considered possible by astronomers in 1967. With data provided by the Hipparcos satellite telescope (1989–1993) this distance is now known to be 310 light-years. * "The Ultimate Computer" (1968), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by D. C. Fontana. The USS ''Enterprise'' visits the planet Alpha Carinae II. In the remastered version of the series (2008), the planet was refurbished and given a more realistic appearance. * "The Eye of the Beholder (Star Trek: The Animated Series), The Eye of the Beholder" (1974), episode 15 of ''Star Trek: The Animated Series'' written by David P. Harmon. The ''Enterprise'' crew beams down to the planet Lactra VII to discover a series of unusual environments, including one constructed as a copy of the desert planet Canopus III (compare Canopus: ''Dune'' above). While exploring, the crew meets the Lactrans, a group of twenty foot slugs with intellectual capacities far beyond their own. The team is captured by the Lactrans to be made part of a zoo collection. * ''Shikasta'' (1979), first novel in the ''Canopus in Argos'' series by literature Nobelist Doris Lessing. The series fictionally reinterprets the past history of the planet Shikasta (Earth) as playing out under the influence of three galactic empires: Canopus, Sirius, and their mutual enemy, Puttiora. The novel ''Shikasta'' is presented in the form of a series of reports by Canopean emissaries to Shikasta—but at a deeper level, it is a record of their struggle to come to terms with human sexuality, politics, and mortality, all through the lens of Sufism, Sufi mysticism. * ''BattleTech'' (1984–present), wargame and related products launched by FASA, The FASA Corporation. The Periphery (BattleTech)#Magistracy of Canopus, Magistracy of Canopus is an interstellar nation in the fictional setting of ''BattleTech''. The Magistracy was formed by defectors and soldiers from forces attached to the defense forces of Andurien. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. Canopus has colonies dedicated to mining, including two dwarf planets that share the name Camp Lawrence. * ''Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker'' (2015), the remake of the SRPG ''Devil Survivor 2'' by Atlus. It features Canopus as the final boss for the triangulum arc.


Capella (Alpha Aurigae)

* '':pt:Os Exilados da Capela, The Exiles of Capella'' (1949), Spiritism, Spiritist Portuguese language novel ('':pt:Os Exilados da Capela, Os Exilados da Capela'') by the Brazilian author :pt:Edgard Armond, Edgard Armond. In this book, some of the natives of a Capellan planet are reborn in a pre-historical age on Earth due to their own misfortune and moral fall, and they help primitive humans' evolution, with ideas from Theosophy and pre-Adamite, the book these fallen spirits are also responsible for the rise of early real or mythical human civilizations, such as those of Egypt, China, India and even Atlantis. * ''H. Beam Piper#Other novels, Lone Star Planet'' (1958), novel by H. Beam Piper. The planet of New Texas is Capella IV. The tongue-in-cheek tale, based on a satirical 1924 essay by H. L. Mencken, features a planet of Texans whose dinosaur-sized cattle have to be herded with tanks, and where assault or murder upon government employees is considered altogether justifiable. * ''Starship Troopers'' (1959), novel by Robert A. Heinlein. The troop transport ''Tours'' is one big ship. She has the speed and the lift to deliver a double load of starship troopers to just about anywhere in fighting trim: "Under Cherenkov drive she cranks Mike 400 or better—say Sol to Capella, forty-six light-years, in under six weeks." From the numbers given by Heinlein ''Mike 1'' is intended to be equal to the speed of light in the vacuum of space—just as ''Mach number#Overview, Mach 1'' equals the speed of sound in the atmosphere of the Earth (at Standard conditions for temperature and pressure, STP). * "Friday's Child (Star Trek: The Original Series), Friday's Child", a 1967 episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by D. C. Fontana, is set on the fictional planet Capella IV. Dr. McCoy reports having lived on the planet and being familiar with its culture. * Marvel Universe, Marvel comic books (1968), created by Stan Lee and John Buscema. The Sisterhood moiety of the alien Badoon are natives of Lotiara, or Capella II. * ''Emphyrio'' (1969), novel by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. Capella is the home star of the planet Maastricht (Capella V), where protagonist Ghyl Tarvoke is marooned in a remote region by space pirates. Making his way to the glittering white city Daille, he learns that his late father's carved screen REMEMBER ME is treasured as a priceless artifact in the Museum of Glory. The sky of Maastricht is a rich, soft blue with the sun, Capella, surrounded by a zone of pale glimmer. Vance draws Maastricht, its landscape, and its people with an exotic palette and flashing actinic brightness: he is an influential creator of imaginary worlds. "The first full-fleged modern
planetary romance Planetary romance is a subgenre of science fiction in which the bulk of the action consists of adventures on one or more exotic alien planets, characterized by distinctive physical and cultural backgrounds. Some planetary romances take place ag ...
is therefore probably Jack Vance's ... [he] supplied sf writers with a model to exploit." Vancian worlds provide a rich environment together with off-world protagonists (In the case of Maastricht: Ghyl Tarvoke) whose need to travel across the planet provides a quest plot and a rationale for the lessons in anthropology and sociology so common to the form. ''Emphyrio'' is one of three novels showing Jack Vance's planet-building talents at their fullest stretch. * ''The Listeners (novel), The Listeners'' (1972), novel by James Gunn (author), James Gunn. The plot involves a SETI-like program on
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
in communication with an alien civilization in the Capella system. * ''Philip José Farmer bibliography#Khokarsa, Time's Last Gift'' (1972), Tarzan novel by Philip José Farmer. The revised edition adds an epilogue in which an immortal Tarzan leaves a tamed and civilized Earth for the wild worlds that orbit Capella. * ''Christopher Evans (author)#Novels, Capella's Golden Eyes'' (1980), first novel by Welsh author Christopher Evans (author), Christopher Evans. Human colonists deal with mysterious indigenous aliens. * '' Great Space Battles'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley and Charles Herridge. In the short story ''"The Pirate World"'', the Terran Federation deported a large group of mutants to a planet in the Capella system in the year 2128; these mutant settlers eventually became space pirates who hijacked commercial ore freighters in the Menkalinan system from 2256 to 2257, when FLEA & TDA troops tracked down the mutant pirates to their base in the Capella system and destroyed the main pirate operation. * '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. In 2212, a Terran Trade Authority vessel en route from Capella to Sol suffered a minor technical problem, and were forced to land on an unexplored semi-tropical planet (later named Commeck) in the Capella system, where they discovered a society of sentient, hospitable, subservient robots whose original alien masters had annihilated each other long ago. The robots were most willing to serve visitors to their world, and by 2229, Commeck Carriage was founded to bring tourists to visit Commeck. * ''BattleTech'' (1984), wargame and related products launched by FASA, The FASA Corporation. Capella is the former governing system of the Capellan Confederation Successor State. * ''The Rowan'' ''et seq.'' (1990), novels by
Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-Irish writer known for the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, ''Weyr Search'', 19 ...
. This is the lead-off novel of the second series of "Talent" books, which feature an inhabited world in the Capella system. Major character Afra Lyon hails from there. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. Capella has many moon-based colonies and space stations orbiting the brown dwarf nearest to the primary star. Despite having several starports, this system has a population of less than 10,000 people. * ''Escape Velocity (video game), Escape Velocity'' (1996), computer game by Ambrosia Software. The Capella system is a fairly major trade hub in the Northeastern Confederation. * ''FreeSpace 2'' (1999), combat simulation computer game designed by Dave Baranec ''et al.'', and published by Volition. Capella is one of the core systems of the Galactic Terran Vasudan Alliance and is home to over 300 million Terrans. It is invaded by Shivan forces, and the star itself is destroyed. * ''Halo: Evolutions'' (2009), a collection of short-stories and poems from Tor Books. It contains a story called ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'', written by Eric Nylund. A battle recounted in the story takes place in Alpha Aurigae, which saw Preston Cole defeat 12 Covenant warships. * ''Journey to the Goat Star'', a novella by Brian Aldiss, plays on the multiple meanings of capella – star, music, goat – whilst nominally being about a journey to the star. * Capella, along with other stars in the Winter Triangle, Summer Triangle, and Winter Hexagon, comprise parts of the Tellarknight archetype in the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' Trading Card Game. Together with another defining vertex of the Winter Triangle, Rigel, "Satellarknight Capella" is released in the ''Secrets of Eternity'' Booster Pack (2015), with Stellarknight Constellar Diamond representing the Winter Hexagon itself. * ''
Earth & Beyond ''Earth & Beyond'' was a science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts (EA). The game was released in in the United States. EA shut down ''Earth & Beyond'' ...
'' (2002), Capella is a system largely occupied by the secretive humans of the Jenquai faction.


Beta Cassiopeiae, Caph (Beta Cassiopeiae)

* ''The Face (Vance), The Face'' (1979), "Demon Princes" novel by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. At Serjeuz on Dar Sai, Kirth Gersen is entertaining Daswell Tippin, a receptionist at the Traveler's Inn who might be enlisted as his agent for certain business transactions. Gersen observes that Tippin is not a native of Dar Sai. Tippin replies, "Certainly not. I was born at Svengay, on Caph IV. A lively little world; have you ever visited there?" Gersen has not.


Chi Draconis

* ''Babylon 5'' (1993–1998), television series developed and written by J. Michael Straczynski. Chi Draconis VII, or Minbar, is the home of the Minbari race. The Minbari characters of Delenn and Lennier figure prominently throughout the series. * ''Full Thrust'' (1991–present), miniatures war game written by Jon Tuffley and published by Ground Zero Games. Chi Draconis is the location of a skirmish between ESU and Anglian forces.


Cygnus OB2-12

The Seer and the Silverman, a short story in the Xeelee Sequence by Stephen Baxter, is set in the Reef, a collection of abandoned spaceships near OB2#12.


SX Phoenicis variable#Examples, CY Aquarii

* "Grendel (short story), Grendel" (1968),
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
short story by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
published in the collection ''Neutron Star (short story collection), Neutron Star'' (1968). Sometime hero and space pilot Beowulf Schaeffer witnesses the kidnapping for ransom of the famous Kdatlyno touch-sculptor Lloobee. The crime takes place on the packet ''Argos'' out of Down, bound for Gummidgy, a planet of the SX Phoenicis-type variable star CY Aquarii. The star's strong ultraviolet light has driven the evolution of a teeming variety of life on the planet, from whose surface its pulsing sun looks like an "actinic pinpoint", and "a tiny bright point of agony". Schaeffer and his Jinxian companion pursue the kidnappers into the riotous jungles of Gummidgy, hoping to rescue the Kdatlyno.


Delta Boötis (Princeps)

* '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Delta Bootis possesses a system of eight planets; the outermost planet, Delta Bootis VIII, is New Mars, which was named after
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
in our own Solar System, due to the striking resemblance New Mars has compared to its namesake. Settled by Terran Federation colonists in 2163, the planet's mineral wealth was quickly exploited, but it was discovered that New Mars' equatorial region was ideal for growing a wide range of plants. As the planet's economy grew, Starlink spacelines was founded in 2201, which added a New Mars to Sol system run in 2245.


Delta Cephei

* ''Terran Trade Authority#SpaceWreck: Ghost Ships and Derelicts of Space, SpaceWreck: Ghostships and Derelicts of Space'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. In 2506, the antiquated research ship ''Rollins II'' was conducting a data collection mission about one light-month away from Delta Cephei, when its obsolete sublight drive malfunctioned, causing ionized ice particles to envelop the ship. The ''Rollins IIs obsolete life-support system failed, and its crew died from hypothermia.


Delta Crateris

* ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. The ancient Precursor Battle Platform known as the Sa-Matra is in orbit around Delta Crateris V. Destroying the Sa-Matra is the final objective in the game, and so Delta Crateris is the last location the player will visit.


Delta Draconis (Altais)

* ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. Delta Draconis I is the homeworld of the List of Star Control races#Thraddash, Thraddash species.


Delta Eridani

* In ''Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow '', the star Rana, an alternate name for delta Eridani, is used to give directions. * In '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', episode 3x03, "The Survivors," combined "Delta Eridani" and "Rana" as "Delta Rana," and surrounded a planetary attack on its fourth planet. * In the Science Fiction novel "We are Legion (We are Bob)" by ''
Dennis E. Taylor Dennis E. Taylor is a Canadians, Canadian novelist and former programmer, computer programmer known for his large scale hard science fiction stories exploring the interaction between artificial intelligence and the human condition. Wr ...
''. The First, "first contact" occurs on Delta Eridani between "Bob 1" and a "Deltan" which "Bob 1" names "Archimedes" due to his clear mental prowess.


Delta1 Gruis

* ''Terran Trade Authority#SpaceWreck: Ghost Ships and Derelicts of Space, SpaceWreck: Ghostships and Derelicts of Space'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Delta1 Gruis has four planets, two of which are habitable by humans. One of the planets is covered by lush vegetation, and was named Eden. Unfortunately, Eden's fruits are saturated with amino acids that cause insanity & psychosis in humans, leading the members of two survey teams to kill each other off. Terran survey teams also found the long-derelict wrecks of three enormous alien spacecraft on Eden's surface; it was suspected that Eden's poisonous vegetation may have killed off the alien settlers as well. The other planet was discovered to be bombarded with unacceptably high levels of solar radiation, and subsequently both planets were placed under quarantine.


Delta Pavonis

* ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' (1965) and other novels in the ''Dune'' universe by
Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
. Caladan, the third planet of Delta Pavonis, is the ancestral fiefdom of House Atreides, who have ruled it for twenty-six generations from the ancient Castle Caladan. An ocean planet, Caladan's surface is predominantly covered with water. * ''David Lake (writer)#Bibliography, The Right Hand of Dextra'' (1977) and ''David Lake (writer)#Bibliography, The Wildings of Westron'' (1977), novels by David Lake (writer), David Lake. The novels are set on the planet Dextra of the Delta Pavonis system, where the first human settlers arrive after a subluminal flight from a post-holocaust Earth. Upon arrival they find that the genetic chemistry of their new home is Chirality (chemistry), enantiomorphic to their own, so that the abundant plants and animals can provide them no nourishment. * "The Big Broadcast of 2006" (1984–1988), episode of the television series ''The Transformers (TV series), The Transformers'' directed by John Gibbs. Delta Pavonis IV is the home of a race of humanoid cats. A malfunctioning hypnotic Quintesson signal drives the cats to attack a neighbouring planet of humanoid dogs. * "The Tree Lord of Imeten" (1966), by Tom Purdom. * ''On My Way to Paradise'' (1989), novel by Dave Wolverton. Protagonist Angelo Osic, on the run from a frightening world of war and politics, enlists as a legionnaire with the multistellar Motoki corporation. Motoki has a military operation underway on the planet Baker of the Delta Pavonis system. The war grows complicated, with the legionnaires rebelling and seizing the Motoki city on Baker, then setting off across vast deserts to attack the rival Yabajin settlement. * ''John Maddox Roberts#Act Of God series, Delta Pavonis'' (1990), novel by John Maddox Roberts and Yoji Kondo, Eric Kotani. The novel is set in the Delta Pavonis system. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The Delta Pavonis system is home to a Federation world, a planet that, while it is habitable, is no Garden of Eden: its surface is completely covered by a harsh desert. * ''Frederik Pohl#Other novels (not part of a series), The Voices of Heaven'' (1994), novel by Frederik Pohl. The protagonist Barry Di Hoa is frozen and sent aboard a colony ship to the planet Pava in the Delta Pavonis star system. * ''Frederik Pohl#Other novels (not part of a series), O Pioneer!'' (1998), novel by Frederik Pohl. The Delts, a sentient race, inhabit the planet Tupelo in orbit around Delta Pavonis in this novel. * In the Orion's Arm worldbuilding project, this system is home to the life-bearing "Garden World" Darwin. The continents on this planet are named after the children of English naturalist Charles Darwin, who gave this planet its name. *"The Suspended Fourth" (2000), short story by Paul Levinson, published in
Analog Science Fiction and Fact ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
Magazine, March 2000. Birds on the fictitious second planet of Delta Pavonis – Peacock – have been bred to sing certain kinds of songs to warn inhabitants of the planet of deadly dangers. * ''
Revelation Space ''Revelation Space'' is a 2000 science fiction novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. It was the first novel (but not first published work of fiction) set in Reynolds's eponymous universe. The novel reflects Reynolds's professional background ...
'' universe (2000–), novels and stories by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
. The planet Resurgam and the neutron star Hades are part of the Delta Pavonis system. *''Calculating God'' (2000), novel written by Robert J. Sawyer. The alien race called the ''Wreeds'' are from a fictional planet in the Delta Pavonis system. * ''Star Trek: Star Charts'' (2002), fictional reference book by Geoffrey Mandel. Delta Pavonis is orbited by the Federation planet Benzar, homeworld of the List of Star Trek races#Benzite, Benzites, a pisciform humanoid species. Benzites are highly resistant to poisons and other noxious substances. They can digest and derive nutrition from almost any organic compound. * "F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre#Short stories, Sundowner Sheila" (2006), novelette by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre. Terra Nova is a planet orbiting Delta Pavonis in tidally locked rotation, so that one hemisphere of the planet is in perpetual darkness, and the other, Nevernight, is in perpetual daylight. * ''The Serene Invasion'' (2013), novel by Eric Brown, has an alien race, calling themselves the S'rene (or Serene), which hail from Delta Pavonis V and benevolently appear on Earth in 2025 to end all war and end all need. * "Star's Reach" (2014), by John Michael Greer. Delta Pavonis IV is the home of a post-industrial civilization of feathery bubbles contacting Earth. * "For We Are Many" (2017), novel by
Dennis E. Taylor Dennis E. Taylor is a Canadians, Canadian novelist and former programmer, computer programmer known for his large scale hard science fiction stories exploring the interaction between artificial intelligence and the human condition. Wr ...
. Delta Pavonis 4 is a planet home to an early-industrial civilization of "meerkat-like" beings. * "Salvation" (2018), novel by Peter F. Hamilton. Akhita orbiting Delta Pavonis is a colonized exoplanet the main world of the Utopial community.


Delta Phoenicis

* ''Terran Trade Authority#SpaceWreck: Ghost Ships and Derelicts of Space, SpaceWreck: Ghostships and Derelicts of Space'' (1979), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Delta Phoenicis has two planets. In the late 2340s, Terran Federation survey vessel D-3 landed on Salamander, a barely habitable world that experiences temperature extremes while orbiting Delta Phoenicis. While exploring the planet, the Terran crew discovered a human-built city entirely made out of ceramic, which was later named Salamander City. However, the original human settlers of Salamander City retreated underground to escape the planet's temperature extremes and their descendants devolved into sub-human creatures. * '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. The other planet in the same system is Antico, homeworld of Mercantile Services, one of the largest shipping companies in the Terran Federation. Eventually, the company expanded their services to transport passengers as well as cargo, which quickly turned very profitable. Founded in 2187, Mercantile Passenger Services, a subsidiary of their parent company, is noted for using Connestoga II colony supply ships, converted into luxury liners.


Delta Sagittarii (Kaus Media)

* ''Into the Sea of Stars'' (1969), novel written by William R. Forstchen. Colonial Unit 122, crewed entirely by women and sustained with a supply of sperm purged of the Y chromosome, begins a voyage to the Delta Sagittarii system in 2053 and is still en route a thousand years later.


Delta Trianguli

* In the Japanese
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
and
manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
Trigun, the planet ''Gunsmoke'', the main setting of the show, is located in this star system.  


Deneb (Alpha Cygni)

* ''Captain Future#Stories, #15. Star of Dread'' (1943) and other books in the Captain Future series, number written by
Edmond Hamilton Edmond Moore Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1977) was an American writer of science fiction during the mid-twentieth century. Early life Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. So ...
. Captain Future is Curtis Newton, a brilliant scientist and adventurer who roams the Solar System solving problems, righting wrongs, and vanquishing supervillains. All of the planets of the system and many of the moons and asteroids are suitable for life, and most are inhabited by humanoids. Future and his sidekicks the ''Futuremen'' visit the planet Aar in the Deneb system (see graphic), which is the origin of Earth humans, as well as many manlike races across the Solar System and beyond. * "The Feeling of Power" (1958), short story by
Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
. The Terrestrial Federation is at war with Deneb, and it depends on hand-held devices similar to the Calculator#Pocket calculators, digital pocket calculators that would be unavailable until after 1971. Asimov would later substantially abandon using any real star names such as Deneb in his stories. * ''
Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ...
'' (1978-1981), television series created and mostly written by
Terry Nation Terence Joseph Nation (8 August 19309 March 1997) was a British screenwriter and novelist. Especially known for his work in British television science fiction, he created the Daleks and Davros for ''Doctor Who'', as well as the series '' Survivo ...
. Roj Blake, a political dissident is arrested, tried and convicted on false charges and deported to the prison planet Cygnus Alpha. He and two fellow prisoners commandeer an abandoned alien spacecraft, rescue two more prisoners and are joined by an alien guerrilla with telepathic abilities. The group conducts an ineffectual campaign against the totalitarian Terran Federation. Similar to ''Star Wars'' in its theme of free spirited rebels versus the oppressive empire, the series is notably different in tone: the rebels are quarrelsome, depressive, pessimistic, cynical. * ''Hyperion (Simmons novel), Hyperion'' (1989), first novel in the ''Hyperion Cantos'' series by
Dan Simmons Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948) is an American science fiction and horror writer. He is the author of the Hyperion Cantos and the Ilium/Olympos cycles, among other works which span the science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres, sometimes wi ...
. Humanity has spread across the galaxy, and makes profligate, casual use of ''farcaster'' technology to travel instantly between any two points in space (to its ultimate rue). Deneb Drei (Deneb III, in German) and Deneb Vier (Deneb IV) are inhabited planets in the Deneb system. * ''The Rowan'' (1990), and other novels in "The Tower and the Hive" series by
Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-Irish writer known for the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, ''Weyr Search'', 19 ...
. The Rowan#Jeff Raven, Jeff Raven is a native of Deneb VIII, home to a large population of untrained "Wild Talents"


Theta Capricorni, Dorsum (Theta Capricorni)

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (~1940–), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Dorsum is the home sun of the Mihálli, or Shape-Shifters.


Eta Orionis, Ensis (Eta Orionis)

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (~1940–), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Ensis is the home sun of the Hláka, or Furred Flyers.  


Epsilon Canis Majoris

This star appears as a physical character in the 2007 animated film, Nocturna (film), ''Nocturna'', as the main character Tim's favourite star.


Epsilon Eridani Epsilon Eridani ( Latinized from ε Eridani), formally named Ran, is a star in the southern constellation of Eridanus, at a declination of 9.46° south of the celestial equator. This allows it to be visible from most of Earth's surface ...
(Ran)

* ''Dorsai!'' (1960, also published as ''The Genetic General''), and other novels in the unfinished ''Childe Cycle'' by Gordon R. Dickson. Donal Graeme, a warrior extraordinaire from the mercenary homeworld Dorsai, and second incarnation of the series' evolutionary superman, launches his meteoric military career with service in several police actions on the vividly drawn planets ''Harmony'' and ''Association'' lying under the ''small orange'' Epsilon Eridani sun (see graphic). * ''Pierre Barbet (writer)#Selected bibliography, The Napoleons of Eridanus'' (1976), ''Pierre Barbet (writer)#Selected bibliography, The Emperor of Eridanus'' (1983), and ''Pierre Barbet (writer)#Selected bibliography, The Eridani Colonists'' (1984), a French language trilogy written by Claude Pierre Marie Avice, as by Pierre Barbet (writer), Pierre Barbet. A squadron of Napoleonic soldiers is kidnapped by aliens and hustled off to the Epsilon Eridani system, whence they unaccountably conquer a space empire. * ''Starquake (novel), Starquake'' (1989), a novel by Robert L. Forward, Robert Forward. ''Dragon's Egg'', a neutron star, has wandered into the vicinity of the Solar System and into the ken of Earth scientists. It has some "dazzling" statistics: a surface gravity 67 billion times that of the Earth, soaring mountains as high as a few inches, ruinous starquakes, and tiny intelligent inhabitants whose life processes are accelerated over ours by a factor of almost half a million. Over a period of a day, human observers inadvertently introduce the rudiments of civilization, and within a man's lifetime the "immensely enjoyable" alien ''cheela'' have lived a whole history, progressing even to interstellar exploration and leaving the secrets of FTL travel stashed in a conspicuous landmark on a planet of Epsilon Eridani—as a reward for a humanity enterprising enough to get there. * ''Worldwar'' (1994–1996), a tetralogy of novels written by Harry Turtledove. In this revised history, an Earth in the throes of World War II is invaded by a fleet of starships assembled for the purpose by The Race (Worldwar), The Race. Only three times in its 50,000-year history has this expansionist species of reptilian aliens organized such an armada, each time with the goal of subduing another civilization: the Rabotev (inhabitants of Epsilon Eridani), the Halessi, and now humanity. However, the invaders are in for a surprise, as their most recent intelligence on the Earth dates from the Middle Ages. Alternate world stories are a specialty of historian Turtledove, whose "thorough understanding of his source material gracefully infiltrates the fun and fantastication."


Epsilon Gruis

* ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. The List of Star Control races#Spathi, Spathi call this star Yuffo, and hail from Epsilon Gruis I, which they call Spathiwa. Ever since Spathiwa was infested with creatures known only as Evil Ones, they have instead resided on its moon known to humans as Epsilon Gruis I-A.


Epsilon Indi

* "And the Children Shall Lead" (1966), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by Edward J. Lakso. Epsilon Indi is the home system of an evil energy being known as Gorgan. * ''Protector (novel), Protector'' (1973),
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
novel written by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
. Known Space#Locations, Home is one of Earth's most distant colonies, the second planet of the star Epsilon Indi. The planet was so named by the colonists due to its remarkable similarity to Earth. Its day is nearly 24 hours long, its surface gravity is 1.08 ''g'', and so on. * '' Star Fleet Technical Manual'' (1975), fiction reference book by Franz Joseph Schnaubelt. Epsilon Indi's "Star Empire" is one of the five founding signatories of the United Federation of Planets' original Articles of Federation. The same book also places Andoria, homeworld to the Andorians, in this star system. * "The Child (Star Trek: The Next Generation), The Child" (1988), episode of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' written by Jon Povill ''et al.'' Wesley Crusher describes Epsilon Indi while wistfully looking out the window of the show's recreational area, Ten-Forward. (although Epsilon Indi, being a K-type main-sequence star, probably would not be visible from the Enterprise's current location, presumably hundreds of light-years away from Earth) * Full Thrust (1991–), miniatures war game written by Jon Tuffley and published by Ground Zero Games. Epsilon Indi is one of the three star systems of New Israel. * ''Worldwar'' (1994–1996), series of four novels by Harry Turtledove. "The Race (Worldwar), The Race" is an alien reptilian species that already controls two subject worlds, and that initiates a poorly conceived invasion of the Earth during the years of our own second World War. The Race's subject worlds, populated by similar reptilians, are Epsilon Eridani II (''q.v.'') and The Race (Worldwar)#Subject worlds and races, Epsilon Indi I, known as Rabotev 2 and Halless 1 to The Race. * ''Space: Above and Beyond'' (1995–1996), television series created by Glen Morgan and James Wong (producer), James Wong. In early 2063, The Chigs Chigs#History, declare war on humanity, launching what appears to be an unprovoked first-strike against the budding interstellar colonies of Vespa and Tellus. The colonies are destroyed and their few survivors taken prisoner. The Epsilon Indi system is the site of the Tellus colony. * ''Robert J. Sawyer#Bibliography, Starplex'' (1996), novel by Robert J. Sawyer, Robert Sawyer. "It had been like a gift from the gods: the discovery that the Milky Way galaxy was permeated by a vast network of artificial shortcuts that allowed for instantaneous journeys between star systems." The closest shortcut portals to the Earth are at Tau Ceti, and at New New York on Epsilon Indi III, a mere 11.2 light-years out. * ''The Armies of Memory'' (2006), fourth in the series of four ''John Barnes (author)#Thousand Cultures series, Thousand Cultures'' novels by John Barnes (author), John Barnes. In this novel Epsilon Indi is orbited by the planet Roosevelt, home to 92 cultures, including the francophone Trois-Orléans. * ''Halo: Contact Harvest'' (2007), novel set in the Halo (series), ''Halo'' universe and written by Joseph Staten. Humanity has spread across the galaxy, and the outer colony planet Halo: Contact Harvest#Plot summary, Harvest in the Epsilon Indi system is one of the most remote. Although Harvest itself is only one-third the size of Earth, its fertile surface serves as the breadbasket for other colonies. Harvest is the first human world attacked by the theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant (Halo), Covenant—which sets the basic conflict of the entire ''Halo'' series in motion. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. Epsilon Indi is an important Federation system that includes two terraformed worlds, an economy based on agriculture and cattle ranching and a population of several billions.


Epsilon Ophiuchi

* In
Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
's ''Dune (franchise), Dune'' series, Epsilon Ophiuchi (as Epsilon Alangue) is the host star to the planet Poritrin.


Epsilon Pegasi (Enif)

* ''FreeSpace 2'' (1999), combat simulation computer game designed by Dave Baranec ''et al.'', and published by Volition. Epsilon Pegasi is the site of a major outpost of the Galactic Terran Vasudan Alliance and the location of Enif Station. The Rebellion of the Neo-Terran Front threatens the Epsilon Pegasi system, and requires that Enif Station be reinforced.


Epsilon Scorpii (Larawag)

* ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. Epsilon Scorpii I is the homeworld of the List of Star Control races#Mycon, Mycon, revered by them as the "Source of Juffo-Wup".


Epsilon Tauri

* Epsilon Tauri is a major feature of the book Starsong Chronicles:Exodus, by American author JJ Clayborn. In the book, the star is referenced by the name Ain, but the characters rename the star Coronis. * In Fred Saberhagen's Berserker (novel series), Berserker series in the short story ''Patron of the Arts'' (first appeared in Worlds of If, Aug 1965), the human, Earth-Descended peoples place all of humanity's important artworks on an evacuation starship to preserve the works by sending them to Tau Epsilon.


Eta Boötis (Mufrid)

* ''The Great Fetish'' (1978), novel by L. Sprague de Camp. The earthlike planet Kforri (K-40) has been settled by colonists from Earth who, cut off from their home world, have reverted to barbarism. A thousand years after settlement they are rediscovering the sciences, but are philosophically divided between church-sanctioned Evolutionism, which holds that they evolved from lower animals on Kforri but owe their civilization to gods from the heavenly realm of "Earth," and the "heresy" of Descentionism, according to which Earth is a physical world from which their ancestors came. The truth is said to be tied to the "Great Fetish" preserved on a forbidden island by a society of witches. When protagonist Marko Prokopiu is blown to the island in an experimental balloon, the Great Fetish is discovered to consist of microcards preserving both the scientific knowledge and literature of Earth. * '' Star Carrier: Earth Strike'' (2010), novel by
William H. Keith, Jr. William H. Keith (born August 8, 1950) is an American author mainly contributing to military science fiction and military fiction and related game design, who writes also under several pen names, such as Ian Douglas, Robert Cain and H. Jay R ...
writing as Ian Douglas. The star is a Binary star, binary system consisting of a yellow sun and an orbiting white dwarf, and has fourteen planets, the fourth of which, dubbed Al Haris al Sama (Arabic for "Guardian of Heaven"), was colonized by an Islamic faction from Earth. It comes under attack by an alien race called the Turusch and a Terran Confederation battle group led by the eponymous carrier ''America'' is sent to evacuate the Marine base and as many colonists as possible. The battle group initially drives off the Turusch, but they return and destroy the colony with long-range mass driver strikes.


Eta Cassiopeiae (Achird)

* '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The Eta Cassiopeiae system includes three Trojan (astronomy), trojan planets on one orbit. The Federation has its main naval base and fleet academies in this system. * "Terra Nova (Star Trek: Enterprise), Terra Nova" (2001), episode of ''
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'' written by
Rick Berman Richard Keith Berman (born December 25, 1945) is an American television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the executive producer of several of the '' Star Trek'' television series: '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', ...
and
Brannon Braga Brannon Braga (; born August 14, 1965) is an American television producer, director and screenwriter. Best known for his work in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, Braga was a key creative force behind three of the franchise's live action series. He la ...
. The first extra-solar human colony was on the planet Terra Nova. The fictional reference book ''Star Trek Star Charts'' (2002) identifies Terra Nova as "Eta Cassiopeia III" (with the Latin nominative instead of genitive case). * ''The Merchants of Souls'' (2002), third in the series of four ''John Barnes (author)#Thousand Cultures series, Thousand Cultures'' novels by John Barnes (author), John Barnes. In this novel The Merchants of Souls#Planets referenced, Hedon, a pleasure planet where the protagonist Giraut Leones goes on vacation, orbits Eta Cassiopeiae. * Dave Smeds' "The War of the Dragons" series takes place on Tanagaran, an Earth-like moon orbiting a gas giant (Motherworld) which orbits a star called Achird. This star has an orange companion that is visible during the day known as the Sister, but it is not made explicit if this is in fact Eta Cassiopeiae. * ''The Blue-Spangled Blue'' (2021), first book in the space opera ''The Path'' by David Bowles. This novel takes place on the planet Jitsu, which orbits Eta Cassiopeiae (renamed Higante by the human inhabitants of Jitsu).


Eta Pegasi (Matar)

* '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Eta Pegasi hosts a system of three planets; in 2218, a Terran Trade Authority (TTA) team surveyed the Eta Pegasi system and found Eta Pegasi II & III to be lifeless, but Eta Pegasi I was found to be ideal for the production of food due to the planet's rich soil and vast prairies, and was named Newbraska. Newbraska Co-operative Spacelines was founded in 2239 to transport businessmen, farmers, tourists & foods to and from Newbraska.


Eta Ursae Majoris (Alkaid)

* In the Nintendo DS game ''Devil Survivor 2'', Benetnasch appears as the last of the Septentriones, a series of strange beings that invade Japan throughout the game. The other six are also named after stars in the Big Dipper (Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar). * The role-playing video game trilogy ''.hack//G.U.'' has the character Alkaid, who is named after the star.


Fomalhaut Fomalhaut is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus, the "Southern Fish", and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Piscis Austrini, which is Latinized from ...
(Alpha Piscis Austrini)

* ''Pebble in the Sky'' (1950), novel by
Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
. Joseph Schwartz of Chicago is transported by a stray beam of radiation to the Earth of the far future, which is part of a galactic empire ruled from the planet Trantor. Finding himself in a wild countryside, he searches far and wide for help until he stumbles upon a cottage—only he can't understand the dwellers, nor they him. One of them theorizes, "He must come from some far-off corner of the Galaxy ... They say the men of Fomalhaut have to learn practically a new language to be understood at the Emperor's court on Trantor." Asimov would later substantially abandon using any real star names at all in the empire. * "The Dead Lady of Clown Town" (1964), short story by Cordwainer Smith. The planet Fomalhaut III is the site of the martyrdom of D'Joan,) an event that "makes the worlds reel".


Gamma Draconis (Etamin / Eltanin)

* ''Planet of Exile'' (1966), novel by
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
. This novel takes place on Werel, the third planet of Gamma Draconis. It is also known as Alterra. The planet has an orbital period of 60 Earth years, and is approaching its correspondingly long winter. The main characters belong to one of two major groups: the Tevarans, a tribe of humanoid extraterrestrials indigenous to the planet, and a dwindling colony of Earth humans who detest them, marooned on the planet in their stone city Landin. Alterra's prodigiously extended seasons afford Le Guin ample scope to pursue her favorite narrative theme: a man is set in an alien world; he must pursue a frozen winter quest until he makes a conceptual breakthrough; he then becomes an agent of reconciliation between former antagonists.


Gamma Andromedae (Almach)

* ''Uranie'' (1889), novel by Camille Flammarion. In his dream, the protagonist visits a planet in the Gamma Andromedae system inhabited by androgynous dragonfly-like creatures. * ''Foundation (Isaac Asimov novel), Foundation'' (1951), novel by
Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
. A catastrophic nuclear reactor meltdown occurred on List of Foundation universe planets#Gamma Andromeda, Gamma Andromeda V in the year 50 F.E. The meltdown killed several million people and destroyed at least half the planet. * ''The Five Gold Bands'' (1953), novel by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. A planet of Almach is one of five sites of a treasure-hunt with profound consequences. (The star's multiplicity is not mentioned.) * ''Bugaboo (The Flea)'' (1983), video game by Paco&Paco.


Gamma Cassiopeiae

* In the O. Henry short story ''The Skylight Room'', Gamma Cassiopeiae is named "Billy Jackson".


Gamma Crateris

* ''Star Trek Online'' (2009), video game by Cryptic Studios. Located in the game's Azure Sector, a planet in this system referred to as Crateris was the site of a failed
Romulan The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series ''Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The A ...
colony. Before the supernova of 2387 destroyed the Romulan-Reman home star system, the
Romulan Star Empire The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise '' Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series '' Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The ...
granted this planet to a faction of Remans as part of a peace agreement. The colony still stands when the game begins in 2409, but is attacked by the Tal Shiar and Elachi during the Romulan Republic storyline.


Gamma Draconis (Etamin / Eltanin)

* ''Planet of Exile'' (1966), novel by
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
. This novel takes place on Werel, the third planet of Gamma Draconis. It is also known as Alterra. The planet has an orbital period of 60 Earth years, and is approaching its correspondingly long winter. The main characters belong to one of two major groups: the Tevarans, a tribe of humanoid extraterrestrials indigenous to the planet, and a dwindling colony of Earth humans who detest them, marooned on the planet in their stone city Landin. Alterra's prodigiously extended seasons afford Le Guin ample scope to pursue her favorite narrative theme: a man is set in an alien world; he must pursue a frozen winter quest until he makes a conceptual breakthrough; he then becomes an agent of reconciliation between former antagonists. * ''The Last Castle (novella), The Last Castle'' (1966), novella by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. Etamin IX (Etamin being one of the traditional names for Gamma Draconis) is the planet of origin of both the Meks and the power-wagons, two of the species who are servants to aristocratic humanity. * ''Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares, Master of Orion II'' (1996), strategy game developed by Simtex and published by MicroProse/MacSoft. Gamma Draconis is the Elerian home system. * ''FreeSpace 2'' (1999), combat simulation computer game designed by Dave Baranec ''et al.'', and published by Volition Despite being an unpopulated system, Gamma Draconis plays a central role in the Galactic Terran Vasudan Alliance's second war against the xenophobic Shivans. It is the location of the first Knossos Device (a subspace portal designed by the Ancients) discovered by humanity, in the year 2367. The remote node of the portal is located in the Nebula, remnant of the supernova that destroyed the Ancients' civilization.


Gamma Hydrae

* In the television show ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'', the starship Enterprise visits a planet named Gamma Hydrae IV in the episode "The Deadly Years". Within the same fictional setting, a region of space designated "Section 10" of Gamma Hydrae lies within a demilitarized area called the Klingon Neutral Zone. This comes into play during the Kobayashi Maru scenario depicted in the film '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' In the first '' Star Trek: Discovery'' episode, "The Vulcan Hello", it is stated to be six light-years away from a binary star system where the first battle of the Federation–Klingon War of 2256–2257 is fought.


Gamma Leporis

* In the ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' universe (1966–), Gamma Leporis is the home star of the unnamed Lorillian homeworld. * Gamma Leporis is one of the six star systems in the ''Star Trader (board game), Star Trader'' board game (1982) set in SPI's ''Universe (role-playing game), Universe'' role-playing game. The others are Beta Hydri, Epsilon Eridani, Mu Herculis, Sigma Draconis, and Tau Ceti.


Gamma Orionis (Bellatrix)

* ''Babel-17'' (1966), novel by Samuel R. Delany. Bellatrix is the star system of the Alliance War Yards at Armsedge, where Rydra Wong witnesses a berserker attack by an Invader agent controlled by the weapon/language Babel-17. The author's vividly kaleidoscopic descriptions of Armsedge, and the fateful banquet set-piece where the assassin runs amok, are instances of recurring themes in Delany's work: the ''quest'' (here, to decode and disarm Babel-17), a ''damaged protagonist'' (Wong), and an economical use of ''colorful detail'' to flesh out the social background of his stories (the remarkable Armsedge itself). Presumably the planet's name "Armsedge" derives from Bellatrix' (Gamma Orionis') situation at the outer ''edge'' of the Orion–Cygnus Arm, Orion ''arm'' of the Milky Way galaxy, with an additional war-yard play on the word ''arms''. * ''Planet of the Apes (1968 film), Planet of the Apes'' (1968), film written by Michael Wilson (writer), Michael Wilson and Rod Serling, and directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. Three astronauts have landed on an unknown world: Commander George Taylor (Charlton Heston) states, "We're some 320 light years from Earth on an unnamed planet in orbit around a star in the constellation of Orion." The crew speculates that they may be stranded in the Bellatrix (Gamma Orionis) system. * ''Blade Runner'' (1982), film written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples and directed by Ridley Scott, loosely based on the novel ''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' by Philip K. Dick. Betelgeuse is the right shoulder, and Bellatrix is the left shoulder of the constellation Orion. In his "Tears in the rain" soliloquy, the dying replicant List of Blade Runner characters#Roy Batty, Roy Batty, tells of "attack ships on fire off the Orion (constellation)#Stars, shoulder of Orion". See also Betelgeuse in fiction. * ''Harry Potter'' (1997–2007), fantasy novels written by J. K. Rowling. Regulus Black, Bellatrix Lestrange was a Death Eater, she was from the Black family, Lestrange by marriage. Members of the Black family were commonly named after stars.


Gamma Serpentis

* ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. Gamma Serpentis I is the homeworld of the List of Star Control races#Yehat, Yehat, home to the High Perch of Caer Zeep-Reep, from which the Veep-Neep Queen rules the Yehat Clans. During the course of the game, the player can start a civil war by convincing the Starship Clans that the Queen's decision to join the Ur-Quan hierarchy was dishonorable, causing them to rebel against the Homeworld Clans and depose the Veep-Neeps.


Gamma Trianguli

* "The Apple (Star Trek: The Original Series), The Apple" (1967), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by Max Simon Ehrlich, Max Ehrlich and directed by Joseph Pevney. The planet Gamma Trianguli VI is visited by the USS ''Enterprise''; at first blush it appears to be a tropical paradise, but it is an elaborate illusion held in place by an entity—perhaps an artificial intelligence left behind by an ancient alien race—worshipped by the local primitives as Vaal. Vaal opens a double pronged attack on the crew of the ''Enterprise'', ambushing the survey team on the ground with assaults by poisonous plants and lightning bolts from the blue, and at the same time draining energy from the ship and pulling it down with a tractor beam. The surviving planetside crew counterattack and destroy Vaal with phasers, leaving the native populace sadder but wiser, having been force-fed the eponymous apple of knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16–17).


Gamma Ursae Minoris (Pherkad)

* Pherkad (spelled as ''Pherkard'') features in Cthulhu Mythos, in the short story "The Thing in the Library", by Crispin Burnham and E.P. Berglund. It is also mentioned as the stellar abode of the flaming Outer God Cthulhu Mythos deities#Yomagn'tho, Yomagn'tho. * In the GameCube game, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, Baten Kaitos, Pherkad is the name of the capitol city of the region of Beta Aquarii, Sadal Suud, also named after a star.


GK Persei (Nova Persei 1901)

This nova figures in the plot of H. P. Lovecraft's short story "Beyond the Wall of Sleep (short story), Beyond the Wall of Sleep".


Gliese 581 (GJ 581, Wolf 562)

*Gliese 581d is a known (but unconfirmed) exoplanet that was the setting of the ''Doctor Who'' episode ''Smile (Doctor Who), Smile''. The planet was the site of one of humanity's earliest colonies following the evacuation of the Earth. *Gliese 581 appeared in the eighth episode of the space opera Anime Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199, where the Yamato found itself trapped between the star and a gas-based biological weapon. *Wolfgang Herrndorf's novel ''Sand (Herrndorf novel), Sand'' refers to Gliese 581d as the character Helen Gliese is assigned a bungalow with the number 581d in a Morocco, Moroccan holiday resort.


Gliese 687 (GJ 687)

* ''
Revelation Space ''Revelation Space'' is a 2000 science fiction novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. It was the first novel (but not first published work of fiction) set in Reynolds's eponymous universe. The novel reflects Reynolds's professional background ...
'' universe (2000–), novels and stories by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
. The planet Haven, one of the Demarchist polities, orbits Gliese 687.


Gliese 710

* Gliese 710 is the name of a song in the 2022 King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard album ''Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava''.


Gliese 754

* ''Murasaki (novel), Murasaki'' (1992), shared universe novel written by several Nebula Award winners and edited by Robert Silverberg. The scenery is set in a fictional double planet system with Genji and Chujo orbiting Gliese 754 about 20 light-years from the Solar System. The system was first explored by a Japanese robot interstellar probe, and the star has been given the proper name Murasaki.


Gliese 876 (Ross 780)

Item(s) in this section refer to the star as Gliese 876. For references to Ross 780, see the #Ross 780 (Gliese 876), separate section in this article. As of 2013, it has been Gliese 876#Planetary system, confirmed that four (nonfictional) extrasolar planets orbit the star. * ''Building Harlequin's Moon'' (2005), novel by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
and Brenda Cooper. A group of space travellers, marooned in the inhospitable planetary system of Gliese 876, attempt to terraform a moon of the gas giant Harlequin, aiming to create over a span of many generations a sufficient technological base to refuel their ship and press on to their original destination. The star system was also featured in Cargo for Gliese 876 the story of mankind fighting for survival against an ant-based race called the Xyloids.


Gliese 1061 (LHS 1565)

* ''A Path in the Darkness'' (2015), novel by M.D. Cooper. The Earth colony ship ''Intrepid'' is sabotaged and crippled passing LHS 1565 in an attempt to crash it into the star and destroy it. The crew names the star Estrella de la Muerte (Spanish language, Spanish for "star of death"), which becomes a permanent moniker.


LHS 2520, Gliese 3707 (LHS 2520)

*In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Rao, the primary star of the planet
Krypton Krypton (from grc, κρυπτός, translit=kryptos 'the hidden one') is a chemical element with the symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas that occurs in trace amounts in the atmosphere and is often ...
, home of Superman and Supergirl, is identified as the red dwarf star LHS 2520, aka Gliese 3707, lying approximately 42 light years away. However, see Arcturus above.


Groombridge 34

* ''
Downbelow Station ''Downbelow Station'' is a science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982, was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year, and was named by ''Locus'' magazine as one of ...
'' (1981) and other Alliance-Union universe works, novels by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. Groombridge 34 is the location of a minor space station in the so-called "Hinder Stars": Olympus Station. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993), '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995) and '' Elite: Dangerous'' (2014), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The crowded Groombridge 34 stellar system has three stars, multiple gas giants and numerous terrestrial planets. It is also heavily developed, with a large number of colonies and space stations. * ''Macross Plus'' (1994), original video animation and anime film written by Keiko Nobumoto and directed by Shōji Kawamori and Shinichirō Watanabe. Groombridge 34 is a possible location of the fictitious "Groombridge 1816" (Helios) system, stated to be 11.7 light-years from the Solar System, about the same as the actual distance to Groombridge 34 (11.62 ly). The planet Eden in the fictional 1816 system is the location of the New Edwards Test Flight Center and its major metropolis, Eden City. The name ''Groombridge 1816'' may be an alteration of the name of the actual although unrelated star Groombridge 1618 (see next entry). * "List of Space: Above and Beyond episodes, Pilot, Part 1" and "List of Space: Above and Beyond episodes, Mutiny" (1995), first and fourth episodes of ''Space: Above and Beyond'', a television series created by Glen Morgan and James Wong (producer), James Wong. Groombridge 34 is the location of the largest extrasolar USMC fleet base, mistakenly believed to be the target of a massive attack by the alien Chigs, and seen under sniper fire in "Mutiny". * ''Halo (series), Halo'' (2001–), video game franchise created by Bungie and published by
Microsoft Game Studios Xbox Game Studios (previously known as Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, and Microsoft Games) is an American video game publisher and part of the Microsoft Gaming division based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, ...
. The Groombridge 34 system is the location of a decommissioned construction platform. In 2531, a group of SPARTAN Project, Spartan-IIs are sent to investigate rebel activity at the platform. One of the Spartans, Kurt-051, is declared MIA, when the entire mission was a setup created by ONI's Beta-5 Division to recruit Kurt as an instructor for the classified SPARTAN-III program. * ''The Black Hole Project'' (2013) by C. Sanford Lowe and G. David Nordley. In the novel, Groombridge 34A is one of the stars launching an impactor to make the mini-black hole. It is also the site of an almost terraformed colony planet named New Antarctica.


Groombridge 1618

* ''New Arcadia'', (1956), novelette by L. Sprague de Camp. Turania, a planet orbiting Groombridge 1618, is the site of two Terran Utopian communities menaced by a similar settlement established by an alien species. * ''Father of the Stars'', (1964), short story by Frederik Pohl. Groombridge 1618 is one of the destinations of the colony ships traveling at sub-light speeds, sent by millionaire Norman Marchand, who lives long enough to see a faster-than-light drive developed so that the expedition can be overtaken. He dies on the colony planet. * ''Joe Haldeman#Literary works, Mindbridge'' (1976), novel by
Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including ''The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), have wo ...
. A planet orbiting Groombridge 1618 is the homeworld of the psi-amplifying Groombridge Bridge. It is accessible from the Earth (less than 16 light-years away), using the instantaneous space transport mechanism called the ''Levant-Meyer Translation''. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The Groombridge 1618 planetary system can be visited in the Frontier series, but it is uninhabited. * "Donald Kingsbury#Short fiction, The Heroic Myth of Lt. Nora Argamentine" (1994), short story written by Donald Kingsbury as a contribution to the
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
universe created by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
. The colony planet W'kkai of the Kzin Empire orbits this star. In the story the star is referred to as "Gliese Catalogue of Nearby Stars, Gliese 380", another of its designations. * ''Calculating God'' (2000), novel by Robert J. Sawyer. Virtual beings from a planet orbiting Groombridge 1618 engineer the supernova of Betelgeuse to sterilize the stellar neighborhood. The event threatens the survival of humanity, as well as that of two recently allied extraterrestrial races, the Wreeds and the Forhilnors. * ''
Revelation Space ''Revelation Space'' is a 2000 science fiction novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. It was the first novel (but not first published work of fiction) set in Reynolds's eponymous universe. The novel reflects Reynolds's professional background ...
'' universe (2000–), novels and stories by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
. The planet Turquoise, a Pattern Juggler world, orbits Groombridge 1618. It is home to a primitive human civilization almost entirely cut off from the rest of humanity. * ''The Stringship Trilogy'' (2017 to 2022) by BJ Creighton follows the peregrinations of Horse Cooke as he discovers the first extraterrestrial intelligent beings on a planet of Grombridge 1618, Groomby. In the second and third (not yet published) parts of the trilogy he brings an ambassador from Groomby to Earth and is arrested by the tax service.


HD 102365

* The couch gag for ''Bart's Not Dead'' in the television series ''The Simpsons'' has an alien family sitting on a couch in this star system. The adult male alien asks why Homer J. Simpson, Homer sounds like Walter Matthau.


HD 182681

* ''Rise: The Vieneo Province'' (2006–), online virtual world developed and published by Unistellar Industries, LLC. This Massively multiplayer online role-playing game, MMORPG takes place on an exomoon of the Yonmaran system.


HIP 56948

* The collaborative fiction project SCP Foundation features SCP-3003, an Earth-like planet orbiting HIP 56948 that is inhabited by a totalitarian society of "aliens" virtually identical to humans. All of the people are controlled by a species of parasite bacteria and its beetle-like hosts, which seek to invade Earth.


Iota Antliae

* '' Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD'' (1980), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. Iota Antliae has a system of five planets, one of which is Phlorflath, the homeworld of the Phlorflathins, a spacefaring alien race that most other alien species find to be extremely revolting, due to the odor, telepathic abilities & physical repulsiveness of the Phlorflathins, who are not offended by the impulsive nauseous reactions of visitors. The Phlorflathins subsequently joined the Terran Federation, and to better facilitate their interactions with visitors, the Phlorflathins built artificially intelligent, sentient humanoid robots who serve as intermediaries & the crews of passenger liners operated by Antliae Robolines, founded in 2252. The Phlorflathins have contributed to the Federation by providing superior FTL communications equipment & a large spaceport orbiting their homeworld.


Iota Boötis

In
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
, this system is the home of Denobulans.


Iota Geminorum

In Star Trek canon, the fourth planet orbiting Iota Geminorum is the homeworld of the Tribbles.


Iota Horologii (Gliese 108)

* ''Halo (series), Halo'' (2001–), video game franchise created by Bungie and published by
Microsoft Game Studios Xbox Game Studios (previously known as Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, and Microsoft Games) is an American video game publisher and part of the Microsoft Gaming division based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, ...
. Iota Horologii was believed to be the star referred to in the game series as Soell, which is orbited by Threshold, Basis, and the eponymous Installation 04. * ''Russell Lutz#Novels, Iota Cycle'' (2006), novel by Russell Lutz. The Iota Horologii system is a setting for colonization and terraforming. In order of increasing orbital radius its six planets are named Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, America, and Antarctica.


Iota Orionis

*In the ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' franchise, Iota Leonis is represented twice. The reference book ''Star Trek: Star Charts'' gives Iota Leonis as the primary for Argelius II, a planet visited by the USS ''Enterprise'' in the Star Trek: The Original Series, TOS episode "Wolf in the Fold." A later novel in the ''Star Trek: Titan'' series, ''Fallen Gods'' by Michael A. Martin, says that Starbase 185 (referenced in Star Trek: The Next Generation, TNG's "Q Who") is in the Iota Leonis system, and has facilities on the planet Iota Leonis II. These two references appear to be inconsistent with each other, despite the ''Titan'' era Star Trek novels typically adhering closely to the ''Star Charts'' map.


Iota Persei

*The planet Grainne in the book ''Freehold (novel), Freehold'', by Michael Z. Williamson, is described as orbiting Iota Persei.


Epsilon Boötis, Izar (Epsilon Boötis)

* "Whom Gods Destroy (Star Trek: The Original Series), Whom Gods Destroy" (1969), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by Lee Erwin (writer), Lee Erwin from a story by Lee Erwin (writer), Lee Erwin and Jerry Sohl. The crew of the starship ''Enterprise'' arrives at the planet Elba II, an inhospitable world known for its poisonous atmosphere and underground asylum for the criminally insane. When they attempt to meet facility director Donald Cory, they discover that he is being impersonated by the now crazed Fleet Captain Garth of Izar, a famous starship captain and one of Kirk's personal heroes. * ''Mark Brandis#The novels, Space Probe Epsilon'' (1974), German language novel (''Raumsonde Epsilon'') by Mark Brandis. This novel extrapolates the claim propounded by Duncan Lunan in 1973 that there was a space probe orbiting around the Moon, sent there by inhabitants of a planet in the Epsilon Boötis system. * "All the World is Birthday Cake" (2019), episode of ''The Orville'' written by Seth MacFarlane. Lieutenant Talla Keyali notes the Janisi, a matriarchal species, as hailing from the Izar system.


Kappa Coronae Borealis

In '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (episode ''"Firstborn (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Firstborn"'') and ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (episode ''"The Forsaken (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), The Forsaken"''), according to ''Star Trek: Star Charts'', on the star chart labeled United Federation of Planets I, the ''Dopterians'' (an unscrupulous humanoid species found throughout the Alpha Quadrant) were from the Dopteria (Kappa Coronae Borealis) system. This system was located in the Alpha Quadrant.


Kapteyn's Star

* '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The Kapteyn's planetary system can be visited in the Frontier series, but it is uninhabited. * ''Fallen Gods (novella), Fallen Gods'' (2003), novella written by Jonathan Blum (writer, born 1972), Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Kapteyn's Star is the sun of a planetary system whose planets are home to several dozen sentient species occupying a variety of terrestrial and aquatic ecological. * ''William H. Keith, Jr.#Star Carrier series, Singularity'' (2012), novel written by
William H. Keith, Jr. William H. Keith (born August 8, 1950) is an American author mainly contributing to military science fiction and military fiction and related game design, who writes also under several pen names, such as Ian Douglas, Robert Cain and H. Jay R ...
as by Ian Douglas. Studies of the proper motion of Kapteyn's star, and its composition, suggest that it comes from the Omega Centauri globular cluster, which in turn is so anomalous among clusters—having an atypical stellar population and high metallicity—that it is thought to be the stripped core of a dwarf satellite galaxy captured a hundreds of millions of years ago by the Milky Way. The Kapteyn's system contains the gas-giant Bifrost, whose arid and ruin-haunted moon Heimdall, with planetary scale computers nano-etched into its stones, appears to have been the home of a billion-year-old extragalactic super-civilization. * "Sad Kapteyn" (2014), short story by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
, published after the announced discovery of a planetary system around Kapteyn's Star. * In the book ''Building Victoria'', by
M. D. Cooper ( ; ; pl. ; ; 1512, from Middle French , literally "my lord") is an honorific title that was used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It has now become the customary French title of resp ...
, Kapteyn's Star is visited by the colony ship ''Intrepid'' on its way to a planned colony at New Eden (82 G. Eridani). ''Intrepid'' stops in the system for repairs after a misadventure in the previous book, and helps build a permanent colony on one of Kapteyn's planets for a shipload of escaped slaves fleeing the Sirius system. Kapteyn's Star is also trailed by a dark matter phenomenon called Kapteyn's Streamer. This phenomenon behaves like a wormhole, typically transporting ships that fly into it to the vicinity of Bollam's World ( 58 Eridani) and hundreds or even thousands of years into the future.


KOI-4878.01

* The planet candidate KOI-4878.01 appears in ''Tras el cielo de Urano,'' a novel written by Antonio José López Serrano. The convoy from Earth - destined to conquer the exoplanet KOI-4878-01 in the constellation of the Swan - suffers a spectacular accident while orbiting the planet Uranus. Captain Íñigo Cortés, one of the survivors of the expedition, takes the reins of his ship to guide the rest of the colonists, who are not resigned to returning to Earth.


Kruger 60 (DO Cephei)

* ''
Downbelow Station ''Downbelow Station'' is a science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982, was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year, and was named by ''Locus'' magazine as one of ...
'' (1981) and other Alliance-Union universe works, novels by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. Kruger 60 is the site of Venture Station, one of the stations on the "Great Circle" chain of space stations that terminates at Pell Station in the Tau Ceti system. * In Alexander Kluge's film ' (1972), a planet in the Kruger 60 system is the seat of the galaxy's administration and the high command of the 6th fleet. *The Kruger 60 system is the setting for "Destroyer of Worlds", an adventure for Alien: The Roleplaying Game written by Andrew E. C. Gaska.


Lacaille 9352

* ''The Trees of Verità'' (1999), a novella by Wolf Read published in ''
Analog Science Fiction and Fact ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'' (June 1999). Verità is the Mars-sized moon of a Jovian planet that orbits within the habitable zone of Lacaille 9352, called Rubino in the story. The planet receives only 0.11 of the stellar irradiance than the Earth—this is offset by a massive, deep atmosphere and high geothermal heat flow. Titanic, million-year old immortal trees live on this world, capturing the fascination of a teenage girl seeking comfort from the realities of her own mortality, triggered by the loss of her mother back on Earth. A nearby type Ia supernova, contributing significant irradiance relative to that supplied by Rubino, has implications for the life on Verità and subsequently the protagonists. * ''
Revelation Space ''Revelation Space'' is a 2000 science fiction novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. It was the first novel (but not first published work of fiction) set in Reynolds's eponymous universe. The novel reflects Reynolds's professional background ...
'' universe (2000–), novels and stories by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
. Lacaille 9352 is the sun to the planet Fand, home of the Fand "screech mat". * ''Shadeward Saga universe, Shadeward Saga Universe'' (2015–), novels and stories by Drew Wagar. Lacaille 9352 is the sun to the tidally locked planet Esurio.


Lalande 21185 (Gliese 411)

Lalande 21185 is a red dwarf of apparent magnitude 7 and is thus too dim to be seen with the unaided eye. However, at approximately 8.3 light-years away it is the fifth-closest stellar system to the Sun; only the Alpha Centauri system, Barnard's Star, Luhman 16 and Wolf 359 are known to be closer. thus the star has attracted the attention of science fiction authors and game developers. A number of claims have been made for the discovery by astrometry of one or more Lalande 21185#Claims of a planetary system, extrasolar planets in the Lalande 21185 system, but these are now in doubt. * ''Rogue Queen'' (1951), novel by L. Sprague de Camp. On the planet of the star Lalande 21185 known to Terrans as Rogue Queen#Plot and storyline, Ormazd, the dominant humanoid species is organized into hive societies much like those of Earth's ants and bees. These societies are inadvertently but inevitably undermined and transformed by contact with Terrans. * ''Janusz Zajdel#Bibliography, Lalande 21185'' (1966), Polish language novel by Janusz Zajdel. Zajdel's dystopian themes of totalitarian states and collapsed societies are explored in the Lalande 21185 system. * ''Star Light'' (1971), novel by
Hal Clement Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented artworks under ...
. The story takes place on the supergiant planet Dhrawn, which some suspect of being a failed star, in orbit around Lalande 21185. The gravity at the surface is 40 times the Earth's, and a Dhrawn day lasts 1500 Earth hours. A consortium of spacefaring races, including humans, recruits Mesklinites, the centipede-like natives of the high-gravity planet Mesklin (see 61 Cygni: ''
Mission of Gravity ''Mission of Gravity'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Hal Clement. The novel was serialized in '' Astounding Science Fiction'' magazine in April–July 1953. Its first hardcover book publication was in 1954, and it was first publis ...
'' above), to explore Dhrawn. * ''Terran Trade Authority#Spacecraft 2000-2100 AD, Spacecraft 2000–2100 AD'' (1978), a ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' book by Stewart Cowley. In 2098, a group of prospectors discovered a derelict alien spacecraft of unknown origin on the surface of the sole planet orbiting Lalande 21185, but were unable to closely examine the derelict due to high levels of radiation surrounding the vessel. The prospectors found evidence that some of the aliens had survived the crash, but had apparently died of radiation sickness. The intact forward portion of the alien ship still has power, as artificial lights are still in working order. * ''Across the Sea of Suns'' (1984), novel in the Galactic Center Saga by Gregory Benford. Radio astronomy on the Moon in 2021 reveals the presence of life in the system of nearby red dwarf star Lalande 21185, on the tidally locked planet Isis. An expedition is dispatched which discovers a primitive race of alien nomads broadcasting en-masse with organs adapted to emit and receive electromagnetic radiation. The biotic basis of the transmissions is emblematic of Benford's vision in his "Galactic Center Saga, water-themed" novels of a Universe-wide struggle between organic lifeforms and self-replicating machines. * ''Marooned in Realtime'' (1986), novel by Vernor Vinge. A character has returned from an expedition to Lalande 21185, referred to in the novel as "Gatewood's Star" after astronomer George David Gatewood, George G. Gatewood, a pioneer in the search for extrasolar planets by astrometry who in 1996 claimed to have detected planets orbiting Lalande 21185. * ''Robert L. Forward#Novels, Timemaster'' (1992), novel by
Robert L. Forward Robert Lull Forward (August 15, 1932 – September 21, 2002) was an American physicist and science fiction writer. His literary work was noted for its scientific credibility and use of ideas developed from his career as an aerospace engineer. He ...
. Three astronauts make the slow sub-lightspeed trip to Lalande 21185 between 2043 and 2052 with the intention of establishing a wormhole terminus, enabling instantaneous travel to and from the Earth. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. Lalande 21185 is dedicated to heavy industry. With a colony on the innermost planet of the system and a space station orbiting the planet, this industry-based system is more developed than most others in the games. * ''Civilization II: Test of Time'' (1999), strategy game developed by MicroProse and published by Hasbro Interactive. Humans and an alien species both crashland on the earthlike second planet of Lalande 21185, Funestis. The object of play is to get back to Earth. Other planets in this system include rocky Naumachia and the gas giant Nona. * ''
Revelation Space ''Revelation Space'' is a 2000 science fiction novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. It was the first novel (but not first published work of fiction) set in Reynolds's eponymous universe. The novel reflects Reynolds's professional background ...
'' universe (2000–), novels and stories by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
. Lalande 21185 is the sun of the planet Zion. Little is known of this planet, save the fact that contact with it was lost during the Human-Inhibitor war. * ''Escape Velocity Nova'' (2002), computer game developed and published by Ambrosia Software. Lalande 21185 is an important crossroads, and features the minor planet Diva. * ''Star Corps'' (2006), first novel in the ''Legacy Trilogy'' by Ian Douglas. The gas giant planet Marduk in orbit around Lalande 21185 has the earthlike moon Ishtar, where the alien race of Ahannu holds humans in slavery, resulting in a force of US Marines being sent in 2148 to free them.


Gliese 908, Lalande 46650

* ''Cyteen'' (1988) and ''Regenesis (novel), Regenesis'' (2009), novels in the Alliance-Union universe by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. Lalande 46650 is the star system containing the planet Cyteen as well as a space station with the same name. Cyteen is the home planet of the ruthless, expansionist Union, and Cherryh limns its intricacies with plays on genetics, identity, family, and power. These novels go against type for her in that they are planet-centric rather than being set in artificial environments in space. They can also be seen to represent a shift from themes of honor (typical of preliterate "shame" cultures) to the responsibility of power (a problem central to literate "guilt" cultures).


Lambda Scorpii (Shaula)

* ''The Transformers (IDW Publishing), The Transformers'' (2005–), comic book series written by Simon Furman ''et al.'' for IDW Publishing. Cybertron is the homeworld of the Transformers in the various fictional incarnations of the Transformer metaseries (Marvel Comics, Marvel, Dreamwave Productions, Dreamwave, IDW). In the IDW comics, Cybertron orbits Lambda Scorpii and has been rendered largely uninhabitable by war. While Transformers can survive on the surface, they cannot live there indefinitely.


Lambda Serpentis

* In ''The Big Hunger'' (short story by Walter M. Miller Jr., Walter M Miller), Lambda Serpentis is the first extrasolar planet colonized by men. * ''Blue Planet (role-playing game), Blue Planet'' (1997, 2000), two releases of a pencil-and-paper role playing game designed by Jeff Barber ''et al.'', and published by Biohazard Games (v1) and Fantasy Flight Games (v2). Just before a worldwide ecological catastrophe devastates the Earth, space explorers discover that Lambda Serpentis II is a habitable ocean planet; they give it the name Poseidon. One major colony ship is sent before civilization collapses on Earth. * ''Halo (series), Halo'' (2001–), video game franchise created by Bungie and published by
Microsoft Game Studios Xbox Game Studios (previously known as Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, and Microsoft Games) is an American video game publisher and part of the Microsoft Gaming division based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, ...
. The Lambda Serpentis system is home to the human colony planet Jericho VII. * "Star Trek: Enterprise (season 1)#Episodes, Acquisition" (2002), episode of ''
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'' written by
Rick Berman Richard Keith Berman (born December 25, 1945) is an American television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the executive producer of several of the '' Star Trek'' television series: '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', ...
and
Brannon Braga Brannon Braga (; born August 14, 1965) is an American television producer, director and screenwriter. Best known for his work in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, Braga was a key creative force behind three of the franchise's live action series. He la ...
. The episode makes reference to the planet Stameris. The fictional reference book ''Star Trek Star Charts'' (2002) depicts Lambda Serpentis as a binary star with two class G components, and identifies it as the location of Stameris.


Luyten's Star

* In
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
's ''
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
'' stories, Luyten's Star is Known Space#Locations, Down's primary (known as "L5 1668", almost certainly a corrupted form of the BD+05°1668 designation).John Hewitt, et al., ''Larry Niven's Ringworld: Roleplaying Adventure Beneath the Great Arch'', Chaosium Inc., 1984. * In Michael McCollum's Antares series, Luyten's Star is the destination of the first foldpoint transition from Sol. * According to secondary materials, in ''
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'', a planet in Luyten's Star's system is the location of a
Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...
monastery named P'Jem.


Maia (star), Maia (20 Tauri)

* Mary Poppins (book series)#Original and revised versions of the "Bad Tuesday" chapter, Mary Poppins (1934) features a scene where Mary Poppins and the Banks children go Christmas shopping with the star Maia. * ''Operation Bororo'' (1973), Czechoslovak science fiction film written by I. Drahnovská ''et al.'' and directed by Otakar Fuka. A man and a woman (Ori-Ana) from a planet orbiting Maia come to the Earth to get a cure for a disease that threatens to eradicate their civilization, a drug made only by the Amazonian Bororó people. * '' Elite: Dangerous'' (2014-), space-flight simulation video game developed and published by
Frontier Developments Frontier Developments is a British video game developer founded by David Braben in January 1994 and based at the Cambridge Science Park in Cambridge, England. Frontier is known for developing amusement park Construction and management simulation ...
. The Maia system is central to the storyline concerning Thargoids, the fictional alien race of the Elite (video game), Elite video game series. It also contains the fictional black hole, Maia B.


Kappa Velorum, Markab / Markeb (Kappa Velorum/Alpha Pegasi)

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (~1940–), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Markeb is the home sun of the Hokún, or Glass Monsters.


Delta Orionis, Mintaka (Delta Orionis)

* ''Cluster (novels), Cluster'' (1977–1982), series of novels written by Piers Anthony. Mintaka, like the Earth ("Sol") is the center of a galactic sphere of influence. Melody of Mintaka, a direct descendant of Flint of Outworld and his Andromedan nemesis, is a major character in the second and third books of the series. * "Who Watches the Watchers" (1989), episode of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' written by Richard Manning and Hans Beimler (screenwriter), Hans Beimler. Mintaka III is inhabited by the Mintakans, a preindustrial Vulcan-like race that is under observation by the Federation. * "List of Farscape episodes#Season 1 (1999–2000), Durka Returns" (1999), episode 15 of the television series ''Farscape''. Mintaka III is home to the List of races in Farscape#Nebari, Nebari, a race that sees violence and nonconformity as unacceptable traits that should be involuntarily excised. In the episode, a collision with a Nebari ship brings a Nebari "criminal" named Chiana to the Leviathan ship ''List of Farscape characters#Moya, Moya''. Despite the name, given that the Uncharted Territories are implied to be much farther away, it is almost certainly not a reference to the real-world star Mintaka. * ''Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean'' (2003), video game developed by tri-Crescendo and Monolith Soft and published by Namco. Mintaka is the capital of the Alfard Empire. * ''Baten Kaitos Origins'' (2006), video game developed by tri-Crescendo and Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. Mintaka is the capital of the Alfard Empire.


Mira (Omicron Ceti)

Mira is a binary star system that consists of a Red giant#Characteristics, red giant (Mira A) losing mass to its partner, the high temperature white dwarf companion (Mira B) steadily accreting substance from the primary. Mira A, a Mira#Variability, variable star, would actually be a poor candidate for the home sun of any of the "habitable" planets described below, since its brightness fluctuates over the long run by a total factor of around 1700, with each individual cycle lasting about 300 days. In 2007, observations showed a protoplanetary disc around the companion, Mira B. This disc is being accreted from material in the Stellar wind, solar wind from Mira and could eventually form new planets. * ''A. E. van Vogt#Early life and writings, The War against the Rull'' (1959), fixup assembled by
A. E. van Vogt Alfred Elton van Vogt ( ; April 26, 1912 – January 26, 2000) was a Canadian-born American science fiction author. His fragmented, bizarre narrative style influenced later science fiction writers, notably Philip K. Dick. He was one of the ...
. Protagonist Trevor Jamieson, chief scientist of the Interstellar Military Commission, is instantly hypnotized when he inadvertently glances at an intricate mandala inscribed with fine scratches in the enamel of his air car. Upon regaining awareness, he finds that Rull agents have transported him to Mira XXIII, a ravenous jungle world that is home to the dreaded ''progeny of the lymph beast''. A beast-assisted assassination attempt on him follows (he escapes). The abrupt twist that places Jamieson on Mira XXIII is a dreamily disjointed non sequitur typical of van Vogt's plotting style; the astonishingly savage jungle in which the protagonist finds himself is a favored planetary setting of the author, and the second jungle world encountered in the novel (the first, Eristan II, orbits a fictional star). * "Known Space#Stories by Niven, A Relic of the Empire" (1966),
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
short story by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
published in the collection ''Larry Niven#Known Space, Neutron Star'' (1968). Space pirates who have been raiding the Pierson's Puppeteers#Homeworld—The Fleet of Worlds, Puppeteers' secret home system take refuge on a planet orbiting Mira, where they meet Dr. Richard Schultz-Mann and his ''Tnuctip'' relics. Red giant Mira A ("Big Mira") and white dwarf companion Mira B ("Little Mira") provide a spectacular diurnal display. * "This Side of Paradise (Star Trek: The Original Series), This Side of Paradise" (1967), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by D. C. Fontana. The ''Enterprise'' arrives at Omicron Ceti III, the site of a colony all of whose inhabitants are believed to have been killed by "Berthold rays". The crew is surprised to find the original colonists blissfully alive although behaving somewhat oddly. *The Among Us level, "MIRA HQ" and the recurring organization "MIRA" could be a reference to this. Although, this is yet to be confirmed by the game's developers.


Mirach (Beta Andromedae)

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (~1940–), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Mirach is the home sun of the Ninín, or Little Ones.


Mizar and Alcor, Mizar (Zeta Ursae Majoris)

* ''Way Station (novel), Way Station'' (1963), novel by
Clifford D. Simak Clifford Donald Simak (; August 3, 1904 – April 25, 1988) was an American science fiction writer. He won three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its third SFWA Grand Master, and the Horror Wr ...
. In the aftermath of the Civil War, protagonist Enoch Wallace is the secretly designated administrator of a way station for interstellar travel. He uses a mathematical model developed on Mizar to predict that the Earth will someday go to war and destroy itself in a
nuclear holocaust A nuclear holocaust, also known as a nuclear apocalypse, nuclear Armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes globally widespread destruction and radioactive fallout. Such a scenar ...
. * ''Star King'' (1964), "Demon Princes" novel by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. Mizar VI is home to the Tunkers, a religious sect who are "ascetic, austere, devout to an astonishing degree. The men and women dress identically, shave their heads, use a language of eight hundred and twelve words, and eat identical meals at identical hours..." * "Cordwainer Smith#Selected short stories, On the Sand Planet" (1965), third novella in the collection ''Quest of the Three Worlds'' (1966) by Cordwainer Smith. The desert planet Mizzer, home of the Twelve Niles, is the last planet on protagonist Casher O'Neill's quest. * ''BattleTech'' (1984), wargame and related products launched by FASA, The FASA Corporation. The Mizar system hosts a habitable planet noted for its luxurious resorts and vain inhabitants. * ''
Enigma Enigma may refer to: *Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling Biology *ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain Computing and technology * Enigma (company), a New York-based data-technology startup * Enigma machine, a family ...
'' (1986) and ''The Trigon Disunity, Empery'' (1987), second and third installments of ''
The Trigon Disunity ''The Trigon Disunity'' is a series of three books written by science fiction author Michael P. Kube-McDowell. ''Emprise'' was a Philip K. Dick Award nominee, and placed second in the annual Locus Award, Locus Poll for best first novel. The first ...
'' series of novels by
Michael P. Kube-McDowell Michael Paul Kube-McDowell (born August 29, 1954), also known as Michael McDowell or Michael P. McDowell, is an American science fiction and non-fiction author. Background Born Michael Paul McDowell on August 29, 1954 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvani ...
. The Mizar system is home to powerful, xenophobic aliens physically integrated into the geology of their planets. They react to threats with massive blasts of psychic energy, which they direct on occasion against the inhabited worlds of other species, light-years away. * "Allegiance (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Allegiance" (1990), episode of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' written by Richard Manning and Hans Beimler (screenwriter), Hans Beimler. Captain Picard, while sleeping in his quarters, is abducted by an unknown device. He awakes in a cell with three other prisoners including the philosopher Kovar Tholl from Mizar II. The residents of Mizar II are green humanoids who are committed pacifists. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The Mizar planetary system can be visited in the Frontier series, but it is uninhabited. * ''Forever Free (novel), Forever Free'' (1999), novel written by
Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including ''The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), have wo ...
as a sequel to ''The Forever War''. Mizar is the home sun of the planet Middle Finger. Middle Finger is the coventry planet where the surviving veterans of the Forever War are sent when they discover that the war is over. * "The Heart of the Star", chapter of '' The Sandman: Endless Nights'' (2003), a graphic novel written by
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
and illustrated by Miguelanxo Prado. The story features a meeting of anthropomorphic stars, including a star with blue light named Mizar. * "Sign in Stranger", the fifth track on the album ''The Royal Scam'' by Steely Dan, refers to conditions on Mizar V. * In the ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal'' anime, one of the List of Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal characters#Seven Barian Emperors, Seven Barian Emperors is named Mizar. * In the 1998 movie ''Deep Impact (film), Deep Impact'', Mizar and Alcor are the stars beside which a young astronomer discover a comet on a collision path to Earth. *In the video game
Devil Survivor 2 ''Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2'' is a tactical role-playing game in the ''Megami Tensei'' series developed by Atlus for the Nintendo DS. It is a sequel to the 2009 Nintendo DS role-playing game '' Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor''. ...
, and along with the Devil Survivor 2: The Animation, anime adaptation of the same name, Mizar appears as a creature that is a part of a strange group of monsters known as the "Septentriones." Each member of the Septentriones are named after the eight stars that form the Big Dipper constellation and terrorize the cities of Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and others, with one appearing each day under the orders of the game's main antagonist, Polaris. In Devil Survivor 2, Mizar features the ability to split other copies of itself when attacked, referring to the fact that it is a system of multiple stars.


Mu Capricorni

According to ''Star Trek: Star Charts'', in ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'', Zaran (Mu Capricorni) was the name of a star in the Alpha Quadrant and it was the home of the Zaranites (a humanoid species known to the Federation during the mid-23rd century). The primary was a Class F star. Magnitude of this star was +5, which was the same brightness as Sol. This was a Federation system, with at least one planet being an affiliate.


Mu Cassiopeiae

* ''The Trigon Disunity, Emprise'' (1985), first installment of the ''Trigon Disunity'' series of novels by
Michael P. Kube-McDowell Michael Paul Kube-McDowell (born August 29, 1954), also known as Michael McDowell or Michael P. McDowell, is an American science fiction and non-fiction author. Background Born Michael Paul McDowell on August 29, 1954 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvani ...
. In a Luddite world, outcast astronomer Allen Chandliss struggles to maintain his primitive radio telescope, listening in secret for signs of intelligent life. After 17 years, he detects a repeating signal from an "alien intelligence" in Cassiopeia. The second novel of the series (''Enigma'') reveals that the "aliens" are actually human colonists residing on the planet Journa of Mu Cassiopeiae—out of touch with the Earth for the last 50,000 years.


Mu Herculis

* Mu Herculis is one of the six star systems in the ''Star Trader (board game), Star Trader'' board game (1982) set in SPI's ''Universe (role-playing game), Universe'' role-playing game. The others are Beta Hydri, Epsilon Eridani, Gamma Leporis, Sigma Draconis, and Tau Ceti.


Nu Ophiuchi

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (~1940–), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Nu Ophiuchi is the primary (Tuleng) of the planetary system that includes the planet
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
(also called Nu Ophiuchi d and Sinistra d). Tékumel is first settled by humans and several other alien species about 60,000 years in the future. Extensive terraforming of the planet's inhospitable environment, including changing its orbit and rotation to create a 365-day year, disrupts planetary ecologies and banishes most of the local flora and fauna (including some intelligent species) to small reservations in the corners of their own world, resulting in a golden age of technology and prosperity for humankind and its allies. Naturally enough, this halcyon era cannot last ...


Nu Pegasi

* ''Starman Jones'' (1953), one of the Heinlein juveniles by Robert A. Heinlein. Nu Pegasi VI, named Halcyon, is an Earth colony, described as having a somewhat cold climate and being still economically dependent on Earth.


Omicron Persei (Atik)

* ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
'' (1999), animated science fiction situation comedy set in the 31st century, created by
Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
. The Omicronians are large aliens from Omicron Persei 8, who often attack Earth. Located just over 1000 light-years from Earth, the Omicronians also receive and are fans of 20th-century television broadcasts from Earth. Omicron Persei 8 is also home to medicinal plants.


p Eridani (Gliese 66)

* ''
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
'' (1964–), shared universe for books and stories by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
. The Known Space#Species, Pierin are a slave species of the Kzinti. At the time of their conquest, they occupied several planets near p Eridani. * ''
Revelation Space ''Revelation Space'' is a 2000 science fiction novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. It was the first novel (but not first published work of fiction) set in Reynolds's eponymous universe. The novel reflects Reynolds's professional background ...
'' universe (2000–), novels and stories by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
. p Eridani is the home star of the planet Ararat, a Pattern Juggler world. Ararat is a primary setting of the series novel ''Absolution Gap#2675, Absolution Gap''.


Gamma Ursae Majoris, Phecda (Gamma Ursae Majoris)

* '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The star Phecda appears in the northern territories. It is a notoriously dangerous system swarming with pirates and freebooters. *Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game. Phecda is represented in the card, Fire Formation – Tenki. *Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2. Phecda is represented as part of a group of extraterrestrial beings known as the Septentriones, appearing on Tuesday in the game as a boss.


List of stars in Ophiuchus, Phi Ophiuchi (8 Ophiuchi)

* ''
The Palace of Love ''The Palace of Love'' (1967) is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance, the third in his ''Demon Princes'' series. It is about a wealthy man, Kirth Gersen, who is obsessed with seeking vengeance on the remaining Demon Princes wh ...
'' (1967), novel by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. Demon Princes#Worlds of the Oikumene, Sarkovy, the single planet of this obscure star, is moist and cloudy; with an axis normal to the orbital plane, it knows no seasons. The surface lacks physiographical contrast; the characteristic features of the landscape are vast steppes across which nomads wander in their tall-wheeled wagons. From the abundant flora the notorious Sarkoy venefices (poison masters) leach and distill the poisons for which they are famous across the galaxy.


Phi Orionis (φ1 or φ2)

* ''Space Opera (Vance novel), Space Opera'' (1965), novel by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. Home star of the planet Zade (Phi Orionis II), where the crew of the ''Phoebus'' performs Gioachino Rossini, Rossini's ''The Barber of Seville, Barber of Seville''. Vance does not specify whether the star is φ1 or φ2, which are about 900 light-years apart on a direct line from Earth.


Pi Canis Majoris

* Pi Canis Majoris is an ongoing feature in the plot of the Netflix series ''Another Life (2019 TV series), Another Life'' starring Katee Sackhoff. Notably, it is pictured in episode 9 of season 1.


Pistol Star (V4647 Sgr)

* The novel ''Icarus Down'' by James Bow (2016) is set on a colony world 25,000 light years from Earth, orbiting an extremely bright and hot star. The colony ship, the Icarus, appeared too close to that sun, and crashed. The planet is identified as V4647 Sgr-b. V4647 Sgr is one of the designations of the Pistol Star.


Polaris Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
(Alpha Ursae Minoris)

* ''Flash Comics'' #1 ''et seq.'' (1940–), comic books in the DC Universe, DC Comics universe. Thanagar is a planet in the Polaris star system (sometimes the "Polaris Galaxy") that is the original home of the humanoid Thanagarian race, noted for the discovery of gravity-defying Nth metal. Thanagar is the home of the "Silver Age" version of Hawkman, who is able to fly using prosthetic wings of Nth metal. * ''Showcase (comics), Showcase'' #17 ''et seq.'' (1958), comic books in the DC Universe, DC Comics universe. Rann (fictional planet), Rann is a planet in the Polaris star system whose capital city is Ranagar. Rann is most famous for being the adopted planet of the Earth explorer and hero Adam Strange and for its teleportation device called the Zeta Beam, which first brought him there. * "List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) episodes#Season 3 (1989), Camera Bugged" (1989), episode #38 of the 1987 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' animated television series, written by Michael and Mark Edens. The Polarisoids (a pun on Instant camera, Polaroid cameras) are the most obnoxious tourists in the galaxy. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. Polaris is a distant (434 light-years from Earth) uninhabited system comprising many planets. In ''First Encounters'', the player may visit Polaris to complete the game's major plotline. * ''FreeSpace 2'' (1999), combat simulation computer game designed by Dave Baranec ''et al.'', and published by Volition. Polaris is the capital system of the Neo-Terran Front during their rebellion against the Galactic Terran Vasudan Alliance. * ''Escape Velocity Nova'' (2002), computer game developed and published by Ambrosia Software. ''Escape Velocity Nova#Polaris, Polaris'' is the name of a game faction that arose from a colony expedition that set out to settle systems beyond the star Polaris. * ''Green Lantern'' vol. 4 #25 ''et seq.'' (2007), comic books in the DC Universe, DC Comics universe. Odym is a planet in the Polaris star system that is home to the Blue Lantern Corps, one of seven corps empowered by a specific color of the emotional spectrum within the DC Universe. The Blue Lanterns are powered by the emotion ''hope''. * ''
Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D game in the '' Super Mario'' series. As Mario, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, save the universe from Bowser, and collect 120 ...
'' (2007), video game by Nintendo in the Super Mario (series), ''Super Mario'' series. The character "Polari" is named after the star. *''The 100 (TV series), The 100'' (2014 - 2020), a The CW science fiction television series, features a corporate orbital research station named "Polaris", whose name later becomes the basis for "Polis", the name given to the capital city of a major faction (the Coalition). *Control (video game) (2019), video game by Remedy Entertainment. The entity "Polaris" is named after the star.


Pollux (star), Pollux (Beta Geminorum)

* "Who Mourns for Adonais?" (1967), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by Gilbert Ralston and Gene L. Coon. The starship ''Enterprise'' is approaching Pollux IV on a survey mission. Suddenly, a huge energy field in the shape of a glowing green hand materializes and seizes the ''Enterprise''. An apparition who identifies himself as the god Apollo appears on the bridge and invites the crew down to the planet—an invitation they can't refuse. Kirk states that they might never get help as far out as Pollux, but other episodes of the series show that the location is centrally located within Federation space. Other novels and comics also depict locations on planets in the same system. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. Pollux has a single permanent settlement, primarily engaged in mining and refining operations.


Procyon (Alpha Canis Minoris)

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (~1940–), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Procyon is the home sun of the Pé Chói, or Listeners. * ''Viagens Interplanetarias'' (1949–1958; 1977–1992), series of novels and short stories written in two waves by L. Sprague de Camp. The Procyon system has three inhabited planets: Viagens Interplanetarias#Star systems and planets, Osiris, an arid world whose saurian inhabitants are sentimental, rapaciously capitalistic, and capable of mind control; Viagens Interplanetarias#Star systems and planets, Isis, inhabited by a species resembling a cross "between an elephant and a dachshund"; and Viagens Interplanetarias#Star systems and planets, Thoth, a wet planet whose natives are amoral and anarchic. * ''Non-Stop (novel), Non-Stop'' (1958), novel by Brian Aldiss. A generation ship is returning from the newly colonized planet Procyon. Twenty-three generations ago, the ship suffered from a pandemic due to an alien amino acid in Procyon's water. Shipboard civilization broke down during the crisis and the crew has since devolved into a collection of primitive tribes having no idea they are on a starship. * '' Seed of Light'' (1959), novel by
Edmund Cooper Edmund Cooper (30 April 1926 – 11 March 1982) was an English poet and prolific writer of speculative fiction, romances, technical essays, several detective stories, and a children's book. These were published under his own name and several pe ...
. Commander Kepler of the starship ''Solarian'' has a prescient vision in which his crew visits a terrestrial planet orbiting Procyon in tidally locked rotation. They discover that the two cities in the planet's twilight zone have ended a five-thousand year war by destroying each other in a nuclear holocaust. * '' A Gift from Earth'' (1968),
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
novel written by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
. Known Space#Locations, We Made It, a planet in orbit around Procyon A, got its name because the first colony ship there crash-landed (the natives are called "Crashlanders"). Gravity is about three-fifths that of Earth. The planet's rotational axis is parallel to the plane of its orbit (like Uranus), contributing to hypervelocity 1500 mph winds during half the planet's year that force the inhabitants to live underground. * ''Justice League#Silver and Bronze Age / Justice League of America, Justice League of America'' #140 ''et seq.'' (1977–), comic books in the DC Universe, DC Comics universe. The ''Manhunters'' are a race of extraterrestrial robots based on the planet Orinda in the Procyon system, the first attempt of the Guardians of the Universe to create an interstellar police force to combat evil all over the cosmos. After serving the Guardians for thousands of years, they have become obsessed with the act of "hunting" criminals—even at the expense of justice. * ''The Godwhale'' (1974), novel by T. J. Bass. Procyon is the destination of a colonization starship, "Dever's Ark." For unspecified reasons the attempt to colonize a planet orbiting Procyon is unsuccessful and the starship returns to Earth. Triggered by an apparently unrelated radio signal, the starship falls into the ocean and its reentry pods containing plants, animals, and possibly humans are scattered around the planet. Among other effects, the starship returns marine life to the oceans that have been stripped bare by a ruthless human civilization numbering in the trillions. * ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' (1978–1980), novels by Stewart Cowley. Procyon is orbited by three planets: Procyon II, named Sisyphus, is a barely habitable mining world. * ''His Master's Voice (novel), His Master's Voice'' (1983), English translation by Michael Kandel of the 1968 Polish language novel by Stanislaw Lem. It is a densely philosophical novel about an effort by scientists to decode, translate and understand an extraterrestrial transmission from Alpha Canis Minoris. The novel critically approaches humanity's intelligence and intentions in deciphering and truly comprehending a Message from space (science fiction), message from outer space. * ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. Procyon II is the homeworld of the Chenjesu species, and the adopted homeworld of the robotic Mmrnmhrm. If the player performs certain actions, these species form a hybrid race that helps the protagonist reach the objective of the game. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al.'' Procyon is represented as an uninhabited, worldless binary star system. '' Elite: Dangerous'' (2014), the sequel to the latter game, instead depicts Procyon as a densely populated system with four Earth analogs orbiting Procyon B, three of which were
terraformed Terraforming or terraformation ("Earth-shaping") is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying the atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology of a planet, moon, or other body to be similar to the environment of Earth to make ...
by humanity in the backstory. * ''Escape Velocity Nova'' (2002), computer game developed and published by Ambrosia Software. The Procyon system begins the game uninhabited but is connected to four other systems. A minor mission string terraforms one of its planets into the world Nirvana, which subsequently becomes a major hub in Federation space. * ''Life Probe'' (1983) and ''Procyon's Promise'' (1985), novels by Michael McCollum. The Life Probe, on its deceleration into our solar system, detected the 'wake' of a "faster-than-light" ship emanating from the Procyon system. * ''Star Trek: Star Charts'' (2002), fictional reference book by Geoffrey Mandel. The ''Andorians'' are a fictional race of humanoid extraterrestrials created by D. C. Fontana for the Star Trek universe. According to Mandel's reference book they are native to the icy M-class moon Andoria (also called Andor), which orbits the blue, ringed gas giant Procyon VIII. * ''Treasure Planet'' (2002), Disney animated film written by Ron Clements ''et al.'' and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. Captain Amelia of the RLS ''Legacy'' says in introducing herself, "Late of a few run-ins with the Procyon Armada, nasty business, but I won't bore you with my scars." * ''Treasure Planet: Battle at Procyon'' (2002), computer strategy game developed by Barking Dog Studios and published by Disney Interactive Studios, Disney Interactive. The game is set five years after the events of the film ''Treasure Planet''. In the game, the Terran Empire is on the cusp of a peace treaty with the Procyon Empire and the Procyon fleet figures prominently, but no battle actually takes place at Procyon (a fact noted in the end credits). * "Azati Prime" (2004), episode of ''
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'' written by
Rick Berman Richard Keith Berman (born December 25, 1945) is an American television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the executive producer of several of the '' Star Trek'' television series: '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', ...
,
Brannon Braga Brannon Braga (; born August 14, 1965) is an American television producer, director and screenwriter. Best known for his work in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, Braga was a key creative force behind three of the franchise's live action series. He la ...
, and Manny Coto. The Procyon system is the location of the far-future Battle of Procyon V, a Federation victory in a war against an alien species known as the Sphere Builders. In 2153, Captain Jonathan Archer is sent 400 years forward in time to witness the battle from the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-J)#Alternate timelines, ''USS Enterprise'', NCC-1701-J. * ''Supreme Commander (video game), Supreme Commander'' (2007), developed by Chris Taylor (game designer), Chris Taylor at Gas Powered Games and published by THQ. In the Cybran campaign QAI, the enormously intelligent and powerful AI responsible for spreading the quantum virus, resides on hardware located in the Procyon system. This planetary system forms part of the Supreme Commander (video game)#Factions, Cybran Nation, a race of man-machine symbionts. * ''Halo Wars'' (2009), video game set in the Halo (series), ''Halo'' universe, developed by Ensemble Studios and published by
Microsoft Game Studios Xbox Game Studios (previously known as Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, and Microsoft Games) is an American video game publisher and part of the Microsoft Gaming division based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, ...
. Part of the game is set on the planet Arcadia, a fictional world in the Procyon planetary system. * ''Starflight#External links, Starflight – The Lost Colony'' (2010), computer game in the Starflight universe developed and published by
Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
. The planet Procya in the Procyon system is the homeworld of the Empire's worst enemy, the Procyon Expanse. * Procyon, along with other stars in the Winter Triangle, Summer Triangle, and Winter Hexagon, comprise parts of the Tellarknight archetype in the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' Trading Card Game. Together with the other defining vertices of the Winter Triangle,
Sirius Sirius is the list of brightest stars, brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek language, Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinisation ...
and Betelgeuse, "Satellarknight Procyon" is released in the ''New Challengers'' Booster Pack (2014), with Stellarknight Triverr representing the Winter Triangle itself. * "The Piccadilly Interval" (1963), short story by
Edmund Cooper Edmund Cooper (30 April 1926 – 11 March 1982) was an English poet and prolific writer of speculative fiction, romances, technical essays, several detective stories, and a children's book. These were published under his own name and several pe ...
. Passengers from London Underground, London underground train are teleported to a planet of the Procyon star.


Proxima Centauri (Alpha Centauri C)

Proxima Centauri, part of a triple star system with Alpha Centauri A and B, is the nearest-known star to the Solar System. Even though habitation may be difficult because it is a flare star, a disproportionate number of early fiction titles are dedicated to Proxima Centauri, as the destination of humanity's first interstellar voyage. A Proxima Centauri b, planet in Proxima Centauri's habitable zone was detected in Aug 2016, and a ringed super-earth in 2019, far further away. * ''Proxima Centauri (short story), Proxima Centauri'' (1935), short story by Murray Leinster. Earth's first starship, the ''Adastra'', navigates to Proxima Centauri. The star has two planets: Centauri I, homeworld of the Centaurians—mobile, carnivorous plants that look on the crew as a desirable food source (and eat most of them); and earthlike Centauri II, abandoned ages past by the Centaurians and ripe for human colonization, once the Centaurian homeworld can be destroyed. * "Orphans of the Sky#Plot summary, Universe" (1941) and "Common Sense" (1941), novellas by Robert A. Heinlein assembled into the fixup ''Orphans of the Sky'' (1963). The generation ship ''Vanguard'', originally destined for Proxima Centauri, is cruising pilotless through interstellar space after a failed mutiny that killed the piloting officers. The descendants of the surviving crew have forgotten the purpose and nature of their ship and lapsed into a pre-technological farming culture laden with superstition. * "The Variable Man" (1953), novelette by Philip K. Dick published in the collection ''The Variable Man (collection), The Variable Man'' (1957). Time-travel refugee Thomas Cole is recruited into an interstellar war being waged between burgeoning humanity and the Centaurians, scions of an aging and corrupt empire who rule from a planet orbiting the star Proxima Centauri. Cole lends his atavistic troubleshooting expertise to the war effort, with unanticipated results. * ''The Magellanic Cloud'' (1955), Polish language novel ('':pl:Obłok Magellana (powieść), Obłok Magellana'') by Stanislaw Lem. Several hundred colonists leave the Earth in the ''Gaia'', bound for the Alpha Centauri system. They find signs of life on a barren marslike planet of Proxima Centauri, which lead them to an advanced civilization orbiting Alpha Centauri. * ''Journey into Space#The World in Peril, The World in Peril'' (1955–1956), third radio series in the BBC Radio science fiction programme ''Journey into Space'', written and produced by Charles Chilton. In the last episode (#20) of the series, the Martian Invasion Fleet, including many humans who have led unhappy lives on Earth, leaves for Proxima Centauri to establish a perfect civilization, free from persecution, hunger, misgovernment and war. * ''The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch'' (1965), novel by Philip K. Dick. The Proxima Centauri planetary system ("Prox system") is the source of an alien hallucinogen which Palmer Eldritch markets as ''Chew-Z''. His business rivals arrange to have him killed, suspecting at the same time that Eldritch has become a god in the "Prox" system. * ''Captive Universe'' (1969), novel by Harry Harrison. Another generation ship story; this time the pre-technological culture that has forgotten its true provenance is Aztec, and the restless young man who discovers the truth is named Chimal. The ship is the hollowed-out asteroid 433 Eros, Eros, and the destination is Proxima Centauri. As with many authors of "first voyage" stories, Harrison has selected this nearest star to the Earth as the target of the mission. Strangely, the crew has been deliberately programmed into a mental state of medieval monkishness, and the colonists into a pre-Columbian tribalism. This novel provides an outstanding example of the use of myth in science fiction. * ''Moscow-Cassiopeia'' (1973), Soviet film (:ru:Москва — Кассиопея, Москва-Кассиопея) written by Isai Kuznetsov and Avenir Zak, and directed by Richard Viktorov. From the depths of space the Earth could hear the radio signals of intelligent beings from the star Alpha Cassiopeiae, Alpha Cassiopeiae (Shedar). A group of students is recruited as the crew of the starship ''Dawn'' to search out the source of the transmissions. On the way, they pass the star Proxima Centauri. * ''Star Maidens'' (1976), ITV (TV network), ITV network television series written by Eric Paice ''et al.'' and directed by James Gatward ''et al''. Two male slaves escape from the matriarchal planet Medusa and are pursued to Earth by Medusan security forces. When the Medusans fail to recapture the two, they take a pair of terran hostages—a man and a woman—back with them instead. Subsequent episodes explore the fish-out-of-water goings-on on both worlds. Medusa, originally in orbit around Proxima Centauri, was cast adrift in the galaxy as a rogue planet (see graphic) when it was ejected from the system by a giant comet. * ''
Terran Trade Authority Stewart Cowley (born 1947) (also Steven Caldwell, Hubert Venables) is a British writer and artist, best known for his works in the "Terran Trade Authority" universe. Terran Trade Authority The original four books are: * ''Spacecraft 2000-2100 A ...
'' (1978–1980), novels by Stewart Cowley. Proxima Centauri is the home system of the Proximans, adversaries of Terrans and Alphans during the Terran Trade Authority#Premise of the setting, Proximan War. * ''Task Force Games, Cerberus: The Proxima Centauri Campaign'' (1979), strategy board game designed by Stephen V. Cole and published by Task Force Games. Humanity tries to colonize a world in the Proxima Centauri system that is already inhabited by aliens from Tau Ceti in fiction, Tau Ceti. The game revolves around ground combat between the rival races. Note that Proxima Centauri, at 4.24 light-years from Earth, is about 13.37 ly from Tau-Ceti, giving us the claim of proximity while leaving the right of prior possession to the Cetians. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993)'', Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995) and '' Elite: Dangerous'' (2014), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. Players are able to visit Proxima Centauri and enter a space station in the Alpha Centauri system. In ''Elite: Dangerous'', Proxima Centauri is 0.22ly from the rest of the Alpha Centauri system, and is only accessible via in-system supercruise (which can take over an hour of real time) as opposed to a hyperspace jump. * ''Babylon 5'' (1993–1998), television series developed and written by J. Michael Straczynski. Proxima III is an Earth Alliance (Babylon 5), Earth Alliance colony. When Earth becomes a dictatorship in 2260, Proxima III Earth Alliance (Babylon 5)#Rise of a Dictatorship, secedes from the Alliance, is Earth Alliance (Babylon 5)#Earth Civil War, besieged by Alliance warships, and finally rescued by Captain John Sheridan (Babylon 5), John Sheridan in late 2261. * ''Event Horizon (film), Event Horizon'' (1997), film written by Philip Eisner and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. A rescue vessel is dispatched to recover the ''Event Horizon'', a starship that had disappeared seven years before, during its maiden voyage to Proxima Centauri. It was using an experimental gravity drive to generate an artificial black hole that could bridge two points in spacetime. Without warning, the ''Event Horizon'' entered another dimension, described as one of "pure chaos, pure evil"—perhaps Hell itself. * ''Far Gate'' (2001), video game developed by Super X Studios and Thrushwave Technology, and published by Microïds. The New Terran Dynasty exiles a group of colonists to Proxima Centauri after forging data to suggest that the planet Vesta, orbiting the star, is habitable. After a series of misunderstandings, the colonists are aided by the Nue-Guyen, a race of aliens who terraform the uninhabitable world for them. * ''Destroy All Humans!'' (2005), video game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by THQ. Furons are the enemies of humanity, and they resemble the ufological Grey alien, Greys morphology—except for their mouths full of sharp teeth. They come from the planet Furon in the Proxima Centauri system. * ''Proxima (2007 film), Proxima'' (2007), Spanish film written and directed by Carlos Atanes. Tony, the proprietor of a failing video store, listens to a strange CD, and his life is changed forever. He feels bizarre sensations, and he meets surprising people who assure him they know how to escape an alien fleet approaching Earth. Finally, Tony starts off for Proxima Centauri, but what he finds there is not exactly what he had expected. * "The Waters of Mars" (2009), special of the British television series ''Doctor Who'', written by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford (writer), Phil Ford, and directed by Graeme Harper. Proxima Centauri is the first destination of mankind when faster-than-light travel is developed. This plot element of ''Waters'' is a quite typical example of the science fiction "custom" of sending first interstellar voyages to the nearest of stars. * ''Stephen Baxter bibliography#Proxima, Proxima'' (2013), a book by Stephen Baxter, a future history documenting the pioneer settlement of a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri. * ''Ascension (TV series), Ascension'' (2014), television miniseries from Philip Levens and Adrian Cruz, Adrian A. Cruz, has it as the ultimate destination of the 1960s-era generation ship USS ''Ascension''. *"Yaana (novel), Yaana" (2014), novel by S. L. Bhyrappa. This novel has a story of two astronauts (a man and a woman) traveling in a spaceship to Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the earth which is around 4–6 light years away. The journey takes several decades. The novel focuses on scientific problems and human relationships when they are away from the earth. While generating oxygen and food on the spaceship the technical problems, the other issues are giving birth to children there and nurturing them. *''Traitor'' (2019), a novel by J. F. R. Coates. Proxima Centauri is home to a breakaway human faction, the Centauran Governance of Planets. Their home planet, Centaura, orbits close to Proxima Centauri. The planet experiences long days through a slow orbit, and is protected by an electromagnetic shield from the strong radiation emitted from the nearby star. Non-sapient life has evolved on the planet.


Psi Cassiopeiae

* In the 1854 science fiction novel ''Star'', French author C. I. Defontenay wrote of 9-foot tall blue-haired immortal humanoids that inhabited Psi Cassiopeia.


Regulus (Alpha Leonis)

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (~1940–), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Regulus is the home sun of the Vléshga, or Shunned/Stinking Ones. * ''BattleTech'' (1984), wargame and related products launched by FASA, The FASA Corporation. Regulus is the capital system of the Duchy of Regulus, one of the founding states of the Free Worlds League. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. In the games, Regulus has no permanent settlements, although minor mining operations do occur within the Regulus system. * ''Babylon 5'' (1993–1998), television series developed and written by J. Michael Straczynski. The Regulus system is the location of the Earth Alliance's first extrasolar colony. * '' Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War'' (1998), computer game developed by Volition and published by
Interplay Entertainment Interplay Entertainment Corp. is an American video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher based in Los Angeles. The company was founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by developers Brian Fargo, Jay Patel, Troy Worrell, and Rebecca ...
. Regulus is the greatest stronghold of the Neo-Terran Front during their rebellion against the Galactic Terran Vasudan Alliance. * "Kir'Shara" (2004), episode of ''
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'' written by Mike Sussman. Regulus is the staging area for a massive pre-emptive strike by the Vulcan High Command on Andoria, based on specious intelligence suggesting that the Andorian Imperial Command is planning to adapt their vessels with powerful Xindi weaponry. * "Fairy Tail" (2011) Celestial Spirit Leo the Lion's attacks are based on the star, because it is the brightest star in the Leo constellation, which are what all celestial spirits are based on. * ''Harry Potter'' (1997–2007), fantasy novels written by J. K. Rowling. Regulus Black was a Death Eater. Members of the Black family were commonly named after stars. * "Dark Matter" (2015-2017), some episodes take place on "Regulus-12", a space station in Regulus system.  


Rigel (Beta Orionis)

* ''Lensman series, The Lensman Series'' (1934–48), novels by E. E. "Doc" Smith. The Lensman series takes place on many different worlds over a vast sweep of space. The ancient supercivilization of the Arisians, originators of the "lens", initiates a breeding program for potential godlike heroes, the Lensmen, on four worlds of high potential, including the Earth and Rigel IV—the latter a hot, high-gravity world. "L2" (Second-Stage Lensman) Kimball Kinnison is the product of the program on Earth, and L2 Tregonsee is the Rigellian. Smith's work is strongly identified with the beginnings of US pulp science fiction as a separate marketing genre, and did much to define its essential territory, galactic space, featuring many planets such as those orbiting Rigel. The ''Lensman'' series is considered far superior to Smith's ''Skylark'' series. * ''
The Stars My Destination ''The Stars My Destination'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Alfred Bester. Set in the 24th or 25th century, which varies between editions of the book, when humans have colonized the Solar System, it tells the story of Gully ull ...
'' (1956), classic science fiction novel (titled ''Tiger! Tiger!'' in the UK) written by
Alfred Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. He is best remembered for his science fiction, inclu ...
, and doubly inspired by Alexandre Dumas' ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' and William Blake's poem "The Tyger". After his apotheosis in the burning cathedral, the legendary Gully Foyle teleports stark naked to the vicinity of several stars, including Rigel: "burning blue-white, five hundred and forty light years from earth, ten thousand times more luminous than the sun, a cauldron of energy circled by thirty-seven massive planets ..." The interstellar "jaunting" sequence is typical of Bester's signature pyrotechnics, his quick successions of hard, bright images, and mingled images of decay and new life. * ''Mack Reynolds#Short stories, Adaptation'' (1960), novelette by Mack Reynolds appearing in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Astounding Science Fiction''. Humanity is obsessed with the goal of colonizing every single one of the galaxy's millions of earthlike worlds, and they know how to do it: On each even semi-habitable new planet, a colony of a mere few hundred brave souls is seeded; inevitably they quickly revert to barbarism; more often than not, after a standard thousand years, they somehow adapt and develop a civilization peculiarly suited to their strange new home. Such is the case for Rigel, whose planets Genoa and Texcoco are "all but unbelievably Earthlike. Almost all [the] flora and fauna have been adaptable. Certainly [our] race has been." After the requisite millennium, protagonist Amschel Mayer is sent in to take charge as a godlike interloper, to mold the young societies as he sees fit ... Reynolds' ''Adaptation'', like "most of his later works, is unashamedly didactic, although not doctrinaire." (Reynolds was a lifelong socialist.) * ''On Venus, Have We Got a Rabbi!'' (1974) by William Tenn: the most astounding delegates to the Interstellar Neozionist Congress convened on Venus come from the fourth planet of Rigel and tell their story.


Ross catalog of stars

The Ross stars in this list (but not all stars in the Ross catalog) are List of nearest stars, red dwarfs, and they are among the closest stars to the Solar System. They were catalogued beginning in 1926 by the American astronomer Frank Elmore Ross, and some of them are still widely known by the catalog number he gave them (for one that is not, see #Ross 780 (Gliese 876), Ross 780). The stars listed below, despite their faint magnitudes (List of nearest stars, all numerically greater than 10), have attracted the attention of authors and game developers interested in fiction depicting the earliest stages of humanity's expansion into the galaxy. #Ross 780 (Gliese 876), At least one of the Ross stars has been Gliese 876#Planetary system, confirmed to possess multiple extrasolar planets as of 2013.


Ross 128 (FI Virginis)

* ''Across the Sea of Suns'' (1984), novel in the Galactic Center Saga by Gregory Benford. Ross 128 is the home system of the Ganymede (moon), Ganymede-like moon Pocks. An amphibious alien race hides under the moon's ten-kilometer thick mantle of ice from a ''Berserker (Saberhagen), Berserker''-like autonomous killing machine known as a ''Watcher'', in orbit around Pocks. * ''
Enigma Enigma may refer to: *Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling Biology *ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain Computing and technology * Enigma (company), a New York-based data-technology startup * Enigma machine, a family ...
'' (1986), second installment of ''
The Trigon Disunity ''The Trigon Disunity'' is a series of three books written by science fiction author Michael P. Kube-McDowell. ''Emprise'' was a Philip K. Dick Award nominee, and placed second in the annual Locus Award, Locus Poll for best first novel. The first ...
'' series of novels by
Michael P. Kube-McDowell Michael Paul Kube-McDowell (born August 29, 1954), also known as Michael McDowell or Michael P. McDowell, is an American science fiction and non-fiction author. Background Born Michael Paul McDowell on August 29, 1954 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvani ...
. Ross 128 is discovered to be the site of a long-abandoned colony of humans that was established 50,000 years in the past. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. An inner planet of Ross 128 is the site of a prison colony. Game players need a special permit to visit the system or get fined by the police for permit violation otherwise. * '' Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War'' (1998), computer game developed by Volition and published by
Interplay Entertainment Interplay Entertainment Corp. is an American video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher based in Los Angeles. The company was founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by developers Brian Fargo, Jay Patel, Troy Worrell, and Rebecca ...
. The Ross 128 system is the location of the first known encounter between the Galactic Terran Alliance and their antagonists, the Shivans. * "Alastair Reynolds#Short fiction, Galactic North" (1999), short story by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
, also published in the collection ''Alastair Reynolds#Collections, Galactic North'' (2006). The Ross 128 system is the source of an outbreak of Von Neumann probe, self-replicating machines known as greenfly, which become a major threat to life in the galaxy (compare Ross 128: "Across the Sea of Suns" above). * ''FTL:2448'' (1982), roleplaying game written by Richard Tucholka and published by Tri Tac Games, Ross 128 is the home of the second human colony around another world. The world was called Frenner II after the Frenner Corporation. * ''War of the Worlds'' (2019), science fiction TV series. An unidentified signal is picked up from the vicinity of Ross 128. The signal is described by experts as proof of intelligent alien life. Within days, earth suffers an alien invasion resulting in the destruction of most human life. The series follows the few remaining survivors as they attempt to figure out why earth was attacked.


Ross 154 (V1216 Sagittarii)

* ''
Downbelow Station ''Downbelow Station'' is a science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982, was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year, and was named by ''Locus'' magazine as one of ...
'' (1981) and other Alliance-Union universe works, novels by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. Ross 154 is the site of Glory Station, one of the stations on the "Great Circle" chain of space stations that terminates at Pell Station in the Tau Ceti system. * ''Doom (1993 video game), DOOM'' (1993), video game developed and published by id Software. In the original treatment of the game, designer Tom Hall wanted Doom to take place on the planet Making of Doom#Tom Hall and the Doom Bible, Tei Tenga of Ross 154, on which the UAAF (United Aerospace Armed Forces) had two military research bases. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The moon Merlin, an ice world similar to our own Europa (moon), Europa, orbits a gas giant planet of Ross 154 named Aster. Its primary export is fish, harvested from the liquid ocean that exists below the icy crust. Importing luxury goods from Sol and illegally exporting animal skins to Barnard's Star are both profitable enterprises. Ross 154 is the primary starting point of ''Frontier: Elite II''. * ''Terminal Velocity (video game), Terminal Velocity'' (1995), video game developed by Terminal Reality and published by 3D Realms. The planet Tei Tenga (taken from the early ideas for DOOM, as stated above) orbits this star. * ''The Night's Dawn Trilogy'' (1996–1999), novels by Peter F. Hamilton: In 2611 a "terracompatible" planet, Planets and habitats of the Night's Dawn trilogy#Felicity, Felicity, was found in its orbit in 2123; as of 2611, its multi-ethnic population still struggles to find racial harmony, one of the main themes on planetary colonization in this novel set. * ''Burn Notice'' (Season 3, Episode 5: ''Signals and Codes''), Ross 154 is the home system of "The Guardians", friendly aliens discovered by the client, Spencer. * ''Orlenok'' (''Eaglet''), SF short story by Valentina Zhuravleva, first published in Russian in 1961. Aella, a colonized planet of Ross 154, is the aim of a rescue expedition.


Ross 248 (HH Andromedae)

* ''Rimrunners'' (1989) and other Alliance-Union universe works, novels by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. Ross 248 is the site of Thule, one of the stations on the "Great Circle" chain of space stations that terminates at Pell Station in the Tau Ceti system. * "Alastair Reynolds#Novellas, Glacial" (2001), novella by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
, also published in the collection ''Alastair Reynolds#Collections, Galactic North'' (2006). The ice planet Diadem orbits this star. The onetime location of a since-failed American colony, it is 100 years later explored by the Conjoiner faction as they flee from the war-torn Solar System. Diadem is a planetary sentient being that "thinks" using the transient chemical trails of ice-worms in its mantle much as the human brain uses electro-chemical impulses.


Ross 780 (Gliese 876)

Items in this section refer to the star as Ross 780. For references to Gliese 876, see the #Gliese 876 (Ross 780), separate section in this article. As of 2013, it has been Gliese 876#Planetary system, confirmed that four (nonfictional) extrasolar planets orbit the star. * ''
Downbelow Station ''Downbelow Station'' is a science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982, was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year, and was named by ''Locus'' magazine as one of ...
'' (1981) and other Alliance-Union universe works, novels by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. Ross 780 is the site of Russell's Station, a space station founded after the discovery of Pell's World in the Tau Ceti system. It is rendered uninhabitable by the Company Fleet before the events of ''Downbelow Station'' and many refugees from it arrive there at the start of the novel. It is later repaired and joins the Union.


Alpha Sagittarii, Rukbat (Alpha Sagittarii)

* ''Dragonriders of Pern'' (1967 to 2012), series of novels and short stories by
Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-Irish writer known for the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, ''Weyr Search'', 19 ...
. Rukbat is the star around which orbits Pern, the focal planet of the series. Higher life on Pern is derived from human civilization on Earth but includes dragons bio-engineered by the people of Pern to help protect the planet from ''Thread'', a space-borne spore that originates within Rukbat's Solar System and voraciously consumes organic material. (In a mischaracterization, possibly intentional by the author, Rukbat is described in the series as a Pern#Planetary system data, class G yellow star whereas in reality it is a class B blue dwarf.) * Caitlin R. Kiernan's short story "Hydrarguros" (2010). The main character's boyfriend mentions Rukbat while the two are stargazing. Other events in the story suggest that the star might be the source of the phenomenon afflicting the main character.


Beta Lyrae, Sheliak (Beta Lyrae)

Beta Lyrae is an eclipsing binary system (see Beta Lyrae, animation) in which mass is being transferred from the brighter primary to the more massive secondary star in a presumably spectacular accretion disc. Because of this, it has inspired the imaginations of artists and authors alike across the years; Chesley Bonestell (1964), for example, painted a famously evocative, influential (and imaginative) canvas depicting Beta Lyrae as it traces a vast fiery spiral across the black sky of some jagged airless world. * ''I lived in the year 3000'' (1959), German-language novel ('':de:Heinz Gartmann#Werke, Ich lebte im Jahr 3000'') by :de:Heinz Gartmann, Heinz Gartmann as by Werner Wehr, with an introduction by German aerospace engineer Eugen Sänger. A journalist who is an outspoken sceptic on the possibility of time dilation accidentally goes on a subjective 10-year voyage to Sheliak, and discovers that the phenomenon is real indeed. * ''Moon Pilot'' (1962), film written by Maurice Tombragel based on the novel ''Starfire'' by Robert Buckner, and directed by James Neilson (director), James Neilson. Astronaut Richmond Talbot is to make the first crewed flight around the moon. He is approached by Lyrae, a beautiful "foreign" woman who offers a formula to protect his spacecraft from a hidden flaw. She turns out to be a friendly alien from the planet Beta Lyrae; she stows away, he flies her to the moon. During the mission the two lovers perplex mission control by joining in a love song about the distant planet. * ''The Green World'' (1963), novellete by
Hal Clement Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented artworks under ...
first published in ''If'' and collected in The ''Moon is Hell!/The Green World''. The planet ''Viridis'', with its very dangerous fauna, orbits Beta Lyrae. * "The Soft Weapon" (1967),
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
short story by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
published in the collection ''Larry Niven#Known Space, Neutron Star'' (1968). Two humans and their Puppeteer companion are ambushed on the planet Cue Ball of the Beta Lyrae system by Kzin pirates. In "Soft Weapon", Niven's description of Beta Lyrae is actually a meticulous retelling of the details of Bonestell's painting rather than any kind of portrayal of the Beta Lyrae system itself, which is now understood to look Binary star#Configuration of the system, quite different; Cue Ball is nothing like Bonestell's planet. * ''The Slaver Weapon'' (1973), episode of ''Star Trek: The Animated Series'' written by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
. In this version of the Slaver story set on an ice planet orbiting Beta Lyrae, the trio of spacefarers comprises Mr. Spock, Uhura, and Hikaru Sulu, Sulu. * ''The Tail of Beta Lyrae'' (1983), computer game developed by Philip Price and published by Datamost. The game player takes the role of a wing commander assigned to the Beta Quadrant. Alien invaders have occupied mining colonies in the asteroid belt of the Beta Lyrae planetary system. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993) and '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. Beta Lyrae has an unusual property: If the system is entered, the game crashes as a result of its computer code being unable to handle the mechanics of a contact binary. Only advanced players can observe this, since Beta Lyrae is so distant from the core systems that only powerful ships can get there, although a bug in the game can be exploited to get there more easily. In Elite: Dangerous (2014), the system can be visited, but the contact binary nature of the system is not faithfully represented. * ''Marathon (video game), Marathon'' (1994), video game developed and published by Bungie. The generation ship ''Marathon'' is served by several artificial intelligences, including the "utilities" AI Marathon (video game)#Synopsis, Durandal, who is of doubtful loyalty. Durandal dreams of voyaging to Beta Lyrae to see the contact binary's spectacular accretion disk.


Sigma Draconis (Alsafi)

* "Spock's Brain" (1966), episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'' written by Gene L. Coon as by Lee Cronin and directed by Marc Daniels. The Sigma Draconis system contains three inhabited planets: Sigma Draconis III, IV and VI. Sigma Draconis III is home to a medieval civilization, while the inhabitants of Sigma Draconis IV have reached a post-industrial level. The crew of the ''Enterprise'' does battle on Sigma Draconis VI, an ice-blasted world populated by primitive Morgs (who before their fall were more scientifically advanced than the Federation), in a campaign to recover the kidnapped brain of Mr. Spock. * ''John Brunner (novelist)#1960s, Bedlam Planet'' (1968), novel by John Brunner (novelist), John Brunner. A crew of astronauts runs into trouble on a planet of the Sigma Draconis system—they are infected by a local virus that destroys their capacity to assimilate vitamin C. Odd things begin to happen to their mentalities. * ''Poul Anderson#Other novels, The Byworlder'' (1971), novel by
Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...
. An extraterrestrial from the Sigma Draconis system has come into orbit around Earth. People attempting to communicate with him become part of an international struggle to gain control over his advanced space ship. * '' Starforce: Alpha Centauri'' (1974), board game designed by Redmond Simonsen and published by
Simulation Publications Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) was an American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship ''Strategy & Tactics'', in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an enormous number of games and introduced innovati ...
. Humanity is reaching out into local interstellar space, and making first contact (and war) with a number of alien species. In the Sigma Draconis system, 18.8 light-years distant, they encounter the L'Chal Dah, an advanced spacefaring race. * ''John Brunner (novelist)#1970s, Total Eclipse'' (1974), novel by John Brunner (novelist), John Brunner. The starship ''Stellaris'' undertakes several missions to Sigma Draconis III in the years from 2020 to 2028. * Sigma Draconis is one of the six star systems in the ''Star Trader (board game), Star Trader'' board game (1982) set in SPI's ''Universe (role-playing game), Universe'' role-playing game. The others are Beta Hydri, Epsilon Eridani, Gamma Leporis, Mu Herculis, and Tau Ceti. * ''A Woman of the Iron People'' (1991), novel by Eleanor Arnason. The novel tells a story of first contact between peoples from a future Earth and the intelligent, furred race inhabiting an unnamed planet of Sigma Draconis. Chinese explorer Li Lixia lands on the planet, befriends the native woman Nia, and slowly masters the intricacies of the local culture. The second part of the novel deals with the question of intervention: Various factions of humans disagree as to how much they should interfere in events onworld. * ''Dune II, Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty'' (1992), computer game developed by Westwood Studios (Brett Sperry ''et al.'') and published by Virgin Interactive. The game revolves around an interstellar struggle between the Houses of Atreides, Harkonnen, and Ordos. House Ordos does not appear in any of the ''Dune'' novels, but it does in several ''Dune'' computer games. The Ordos are mercenary; they care for nothing, save power and wealth. Their home planet, featured in the Ordos House emblem, is Sigma Draconis IV. * ''David Weber#Honor Harrington series, Honor Harrington'' (1993–), series of novels by David Weber. Located in the Sigma Draconis system, Beowulf is the oldest human colony, having been founded almost two thousand years before the events in the Honor Harrington saga. Beowulf, an important member of the Solarian League, derives a measure of prosperity from the proximity of a wormhole junction that makes the planet a major trading partner of the Star Kingdom of Manticore. Recent developments are prompting Beowulf to secede from the Solarian League. * ''Outpost (1994 video game), Outpost'' (1994), the computer game by Sierra On-Line featured Sigma Draconis as a playable system, and Sigma Draconis III was depicted on the box. * ''The Apocalypse Troll'' (1999), novel by David Weber. Protagonist Ludmilla Leonovna is descended from the Sigma Draconis First Wave—inhabitants of Sigma Draconis IV who, surviving a biological attack by the violently xenophobic Kanga, acquired a heritable symbiote which lent them an array of enhanced physical and mental powers. She must travel back in time to the Earth of the twenty-first century to do battle against a time-shifted Kanga task force and its ''Troll'' (a psychopathic cyborg shock-trooper) who have been assigned the back-time mission of preemptively destroying the human race. * ''Rollback (novel), Rollback'' (2007), novel written by Robert J. Sawyer. Sarah Halifax is an astronomer who long ago translated the first transmission received from an extraterrestrial source: Sigma Draconis. Now, 38 years later, the 87-year-old protagonist is again called upon when a second set of signals arrives. In the story, the importance of her task leads to rejuvenation ("rollback") treatments for herself and her longtime husband—but they only work for him. * '' To Sleep in a Sea of Stars'' (2020), novel by
Christopher Paolini Christopher James Paolini (born November 17, 1983) is an American author and screenwriter. He is best known for ''The Inheritance Cycle'', which consists of the books ''Eragon'', ''Eldest'', ''Brisingr'', ''Inheritance'', and the follow up short ...
. The story begins in the Sigma Draconis system which has three orbiting planets. The second is a massive gas giant named Zeus. Humans are able to live on one of the many moons of Zeus, named Adrasteia.


Sigma Sculptoris

Referenced in the fictional short story "Three-legged Joe" by author
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
as being orbited by 14 planets, the outermost of which was named Odfars and inhabited by a single alien for which the story is named.


Sirius Sirius is the list of brightest stars, brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek language, Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinisation ...
(Alpha Canis Majoris)

* ''True History'' (''c''. second cent CE), travel tale by the Greek-speaking Syrian author Lucian of Samosata. The novel mentions alien Sirian ''acorn-dogs'' ("dog-faced men fighting on winged acorns"), who help him carry the day. * "
Micromégas ''Le Micromégas'' is a 1752 novella by the French philosopher and satirist Voltaire. Along with his story "Plato's Dream", it is an early example in the literary genre of science fiction and has its place in the development of the history of li ...
" (1752), short story by
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...
. The tale recounts the visit to Earth of a giant from a world circling the star Sirius. * '' Seed of Light'' (1959), novel by
Edmund Cooper Edmund Cooper (30 April 1926 – 11 March 1982) was an English poet and prolific writer of speculative fiction, romances, technical essays, several detective stories, and a children's book. These were published under his own name and several pe ...
. The tale concerns the voyage of a
generation starship A generation ship, or generation starship, is a hypothetical type of interstellar ark starship that travels at sub-light speed. Since such a ship might require hundreds to thousands of years to reach nearby stars, the original occupants of a gen ...
to the Sirius system. * ''The Starlight Barking'' (1967), the sequel to ''The Hundred and One Dalmatians''. Sirius, lord of the Dog Star, sets off the events of the novel. * ''The Sirian Experiments'' (1980), third novel in the ''Canopus in Argos'' series by literature Nobelist Doris Lessing. The Sirian Empire, centred in the Sirius star system, has advanced technology that makes its citizens effectively immortal and sophisticated machines that do almost everything for them. * ''V (1983 miniseries), V'' (1983–1985), miniseries and regular television series created by Kenneth Johnson (producer), Kenneth Johnson. Carnivorous reptilian humanoids from Sirius IV invade the Earth. * ''Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas'' (1994), novel by Tom Robbins. The plot refers to the The Sirius Mystery, Sirius mysteries and the mythology surrounding the Dogon people of Mali in west Africa. *From Mars to Sirius (2005), concept album by Gojira (band). The plot of the album revolves around an interstallar quest which ends with the secret to salvation being learnt from beings near the fictional star Sirius C in the
Sirius Sirius is the list of brightest stars, brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek language, Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinisation ...
system. *Horizon Forbidden West (2022), video game by Guerrilla Games. The main antagonists of the game the Far Zeniths come from a human colony in the Sirius system.


Spica (Alpha Virginis)

* In the second book of Edmond Hamilton's Starwolf (novel series), Starwolf series (1968), it is mentioned that one of the characters lost his family while away on a mission to Spica. * In ''Antares Passage'' (1987), second book of the ''Antares Series'' trilogy by Michael McCollum. Spica is discovered to be the transport hub of the Ryall Hegemony. Most of the events of the following book, ''Antares Victory'', take place in the Spica system. * ''Pushing Ice'' (2005), novel written by
Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...
. Saturn's moon Janus (moon), Janus unexpectedly veers out of its orbit and bolts from the Solar System, pursued by explorer Bella Lind in her space ship the ''Rockhopper''. On approaching its quarry, the vessel gets helplessly entrained by the inertialess drive that propels the great orb—in reality a huge alien spacecraft—and the ship's crew, in the realization that they can never return to Earth, eke out a rough settlement on the moon's surface, willy nilly joining in its voyage to the star Spica. Their ultimate destination there turns out to be the Spica Structure: An immense artifact orbiting the star, it is a fasces-like bundle of O'Neill cylinders, each one with "the internal surface area of fifty thousand Earths; a million Earth's worth in the entire structure...the tube could be three light-minutes [~50 million km] long". *Spica serves as the titular inspiration in the manga series ''Twin Spica'', as the star is of great personal importance to the protagonist, who is a high school student in an astronaut training program. The symbolism associated with Spica crops up frequently during the manga, both as a distant goal, and as something that is more than it seems to the casual observer (being a binary star) much like the protagonist. * In ''Goddess in Granite'', a short story by Robert Young, the main planet of Alpha Virginis has a gynecomorphous mountain range called the Virgin. It is a plateau about ten thousand feet above sea level, and it looks exactly like a titanic sculpture of a nude woman in repose with lakes for eyes.


T Coronae Borealis

* In the story ''Viewpoints'' in Thomas W. Hamilton (author), Thomas W. Hamilton's anthology "The Mountain of Long Eyes" (2012) the planet Shayol in orbit around T Coronae Borealis is used by the United States as a prison planet.


Tau Ceti

* In
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
's Alliance/Union universe, Tau Ceti, known as Pell's Star, is orbited by Pell's World, which is orbited by
Downbelow Station ''Downbelow Station'' is a science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982, was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year, and was named by ''Locus'' magazine as one of ...
. * The Tau Ceti system is a main setting in
Andy Weir Andrew Taylor Weir (born June 16, 1972) is an American novelist and former computer programmer. His 2011 novel '' The Martian'' was adapted into the 2015 film of the same name directed by Ridley Scott. He received the John W. Campbell Award for ...
's 2021 novel, ''Project Hail Mary''. * The protagonist the 1968 science fiction film Barbarella (film), Barbarella crash-lands on Tau Ceti's 16th planet. * In
2300 AD ''2300 AD'', originally titled ''Traveller: 2300'', is a tabletop science fiction role-playing game created by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) and first published in 1986. Publication history GDW created the popular science fiction role-playing ...
(1986), role-playing game published by the
Game Designers' Workshop Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers. History Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding m ...
. Kwantung (Tau Ceti II) is a temperate garden-like world harboring the Manchurian colony Changpai and the Mexican colony Nuevo Angeles. The Tau Ceti system sits astride the main access route to the Latin Systems. * In
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
's The Dispossessed, the two planets/moons (both consider the other to be its moon, and it's not clarified whether or not they are both planets or if one is a planet and the other is its Natural satellite, satelite) of the setting, Urras and Anarres, orbit the star Tau Ceti. * In
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
's Known Space, known space series, the planet Plateau, witch is the main setting for the novel A Gift from Earth, A Gift From Earth, is in orbit around Tau Ceti. * In
Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
's The Robots of Dawn, the planet Aurora is in Tau Ceti's orbit * Tau Ceti was the destination of the spaceship "Earthling" in the 1966 novel ''Destination: Void'', by
Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
. At the time of the novel's publication the existence of exoplanets around Tau Ceti were unknown. According to the plot of the story, the choice of Tau Ceti required there to be no habitable planets. * In
Dan Simmons Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948) is an American science fiction and horror writer. He is the author of the Hyperion Cantos and the Ilium/Olympos cycles, among other works which span the science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres, sometimes wi ...
's Hyperion Cantos, Hyperion novels, Tau Ceti Center, also known as TC², was the administrative capital of the Hegemony. * Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora (novel), Aurora follows a generation ship to the Tau Ceti system. * In Harry Turtledove's Worldwar series, ''Worldwar'' series of novels, the invading aliens called "The Race" are native to a planet orbiting Tau Ceti, which they call "Home". Human astronauts visit this planet in the final book, Homeward Bound (Turtledove novel), ''Homeward Bound'' (2004). * Ten thousand years before the events of Tamsyn Muir's ''Gideon the Ninth, Locked Tomb'' science fiction/fantasy series, a group of multibillionaires abandon a dying Earth and flee to Tau Ceti.


Tau Coronae Borealis

In ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (episodes "The Nagus", "Prophet Motive" and "Profit and Lace"), according to the ''Star Trek: Star Charts'', on the star chart United Federation of Planets I, the ''Hupyrians'' (a humanoid species native to either the Alpha or Beta Quadrant) were from the Hupyria (Tau Coronae Borealis) system. Both the primary and the secondary were K-type stars. This system was located in the Alpha Quadrant.


Tau Cygni

* "The Ensigns of Command" (1989), episode of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' written by Melinda M. Snodgrass. The Enterprise crew receives an ultimatum from the enigmatic Sheliak race: Within four days evacuate the human colony from Tau Cygni V, which the aliens intend to colonize. The crew of the ''Enterprise'' use a combination of intimidation and diplomacy to resolve the crisis.


Theta Centauri (Menkent)

* ''Starman Jones'' (1953), novel by Robert A. Heinlein. To launch his brilliant career in space, farmhand Max Jones signs on to the ''Asgard'' with forged papers. The starship's first stop on his first voyage out is Garson's Planet, which "possesses the meager virtue of being least unpleasant" of Theta Centauri's 13 planets. It is a cold world with a burdensome surface gravity of 1.25 g, and a methane atmosphere that forces human inhabitants to live under domes. On the plus side, there are no less than six plotted "Horst congruencies" nearby, which makes the planet an interstellar cross-roads (compare Sigma Draconis: Beowulf above).


Theta Hydrae

* In the ''Star Trek'' expanded universe, ''Star Trek Star Charts: The Complete Atlas of Star Trek'' shows Theta Hydrae as being located within the borders of the Klingon Empire, with the native name Gorath (originally referred to in the ''Star Trek: Voyager'' episode "Day of Honor"). ''Star Trek Online'', which based its overworld map on ''Star Charts'', further identifies the Theta Hydrae system as having one marginally habitable planet, which is the location of a ground Player versus player, PVP arena and some of the territorial holdings of the House of Torg.


Theta Pegasi (Biham)

* One of two possible stars that are home of Planet Vortex in Ecco the Dolphin.


Theta Serpentis

* Theta Serpentis AB was referenced in the series finale of ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' as Alya, the name of Leopold Fitz and Jemma Simmons' daughter, as well as the star system that they took refuge by prior to the beginning of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (season 7), season 7.


Theta Ursae Majoris

* ''The Armies of Memory'' (2006), fourth in the series of four ''John Barnes (author)#Thousand Cultures series, Thousand Cultures'' novels by John Barnes (author), John Barnes. In this novel Theta Ursae Majoris is orbited by the planet The Armies of Memory#Planets referenced, Addams, home to 102 cultures, which has lost contact with Earth. Protagonist Giraut Leones discovers that the planet was overwhelmed by an alien AI force that killed almost all the inhabitants and plundered their brains for memories and experiences.


TRAPPIST-1

* ''Alexander Winn, TerraGenesis'' (2016) features TRAPPIST-1 and its seven planets as terraforming candidates. In the game, the TRAPPIST-1 system was previously inhabited on all seven planets by an ancient civilization that has long since disappeared. All that remains of these ancient aliens is a mysterious terraforming machine called the Tresuunak, which has been scattered throughout the solar system and must be pieced together over the course of the campaign. TRAPPIST-1 can be seen in the background while players terraform its orbiting planets.


Alpha Serpentis, Unukalhai (Alpha Serpentis)

* ''
Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control u ...
'' (~1940– ), novels and games by
M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...
. Unukalhai is the home sun of the Hegléth, or Swamp Folk.


Luyten 726-8, UV Ceti (Luyten 726–8)

Luyten 726–8 is a binary star system: The component Luyten 726-8A is a red dwarf star with the variable designation BL Ceti, and Luyten 726-8B is a red dwarf with the alternate designation UV Ceti. The latter is the prototype for the class of flare stars, and it goes through fairly extreme changes of brightness: For instance, in 1952, its brightness increased by Luyten 726-8#Luyten 726-8B (UV Ceti), 75 times in only 20 seconds. None of the items below pretend that UV Ceti is orbited by habitable worlds. * '' A Gift from Earth'' (1968),
Known Space Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off ''Man-Kzin Wars'' anthologies. The Internet Spec ...
novel by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
. The colony world Plateau (Known space), Plateau in the Tau Ceti system (11.9 light-years from Earth) lives by a rigorous code: All crimes are punishable by involuntary organ harvesting, while organ transplants are reserved to the benefit of the aristocracy. A robotic Bussard ramjet arrives from Earth, bearing a gift that will upset the unstable social balance on Plateau. But before that ... "8.3 light-years from Sol, almost directly between Sol and Tau Ceti, lie the twin red dwarf stars L726-8. Their main distinction is that they are the stars of smallest mass known to man. Yet they are heavy enough to have collected a faint envelope of gas. The ramrobot braked heavily as her ramscoop plowed through the fringes of that envelope." The relative proximity of Tau Ceti to the Earth (with a turnaround point at UV Ceti) is an important plot element in the novel, enabling Plateau to be isolated from the mother planet, and yet still close enough to receive occasional cargoes via ramjet. * ''
Downbelow Station ''Downbelow Station'' is a science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982, was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year, and was named by ''Locus'' magazine as one of ...
'' (1981) and other Alliance-Union universe works, novels by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. UV Ceti is the site of Eldorado Station, one of the stations on the "Great Circle" chain of space stations that terminates at Pell Station in the Tau Ceti system. * ''Robert L. Forward#Novels, Timemaster'' (1992), novel by
Robert L. Forward Robert Lull Forward (August 15, 1932 – September 21, 2002) was an American physicist and science fiction writer. His literary work was noted for its scientific credibility and use of ideas developed from his career as an aerospace engineer. He ...
. A billionaire makes a six-year journey to the Barnard's Star system (6 light-years away) to open a wormhole in 2049. Later, a wormhole is opened between Earth and UV Ceti, at a distance of 8.7 light-years.


Van Maanen's Star (Gliese 35)

* ''A World Out of Time'' (1970), novel by
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
. Protagonist James Branch Cabell, Jerome Branch Corbell, cryogenically frozen in 1970, is revived in 2190 by an oppressive "State". He is arbitrarily selected to be the pilot and sole passenger of a Bussard ramjet, whose mission is to find and seed suitable planets as the first step in terraforming them for human colonization. The first planetary system on his itinerary is Van Maanen's Star. However, disgusted with The State, Corbell hijacks the ship and takes it to the center of the galaxy. * ''
Downbelow Station ''Downbelow Station'' is a science fiction novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, published in 1981 by DAW Books. It won the Hugo Award in 1982, was shortlisted for a Locus Award that same year, and was named by ''Locus'' magazine as one of ...
'' (1981) and other Alliance-Union universe works, novels by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. Van Maanen's Star is the site of Mariner, a space station founded after the discovery of Pell's World in the Tau Ceti system. It later joins the Union. * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993), '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), and '' Elite: Dangerous'' (2014), computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. The Van Maanen's planetary system is the home of a radical religious sect that believes in suffering as the key to salvation. Mining is done without machines, and any surplus money that is not needed to satisfy basic requirements like oxygen, food and water is burned in a sacred ceremony. The system is only accessible with a special permit. Due to the banning of ordinary trade items, Van Maanen's Star is a haven for smugglers.  


Vega (Alpha Lyrae)

* James Blish#Cities in Flight 2, Cities in Flight, (1955–1962), series of novels by
James Blish James Benjamin Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his ''Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel ''A Case of Conscienc ...
. The Vega system is home to a civilization Blish names the ''Vegan Tyranny'', which is blocking mankind's expansion into the galaxy. To fulfill their manifest destiny, men must defeat the Tyranny. The series' reflection of recent (from the vantage of 1955) earthly events, and the fascistic nature of the Vegan Tyranny, exhibit Blish's pessimistic view of the cyclic nature of history, as influenced by his reading of Oswald Spengler, Spengler's ''The Decline of the West''. Blish later recycled these ideas in his novelization of "Tomorrow is Yesterday" (1967), an episode of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
''. * ''
The Stars My Destination ''The Stars My Destination'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Alfred Bester. Set in the 24th or 25th century, which varies between editions of the book, when humans have colonized the Solar System, it tells the story of Gully ull ...
'' (1956), classic science fiction novel (titled ''Tiger! Tiger!'' in the UK) written by
Alfred Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. He is best remembered for his science fiction, inclu ...
. After his apotheosis in the burning cathedral, the legendary Gully Foyle teleports stark naked to the vicinity of several stars, including Vega: "Vega in Lyra ... burning bluer than Rigel, planetless, but encircled by swarms of blazing comets whose gaseous trails scintillated across the blue-black firmament ..." The interstellar "jaunting" sequence is typical of Bester's signature pyrotechnics, his quick successions of hard, bright images, and mingled images of decay and new life. * '' Andromeda: A Space Age Tale'' (1959), English translation by George Hanna of the Russian language novel by Ivan Yefremov, Ivan Efremov. The Earth of the far future is a communist utopia, nonetheless able to send no more than a few infrequent space ships to the nearest star systems, since interstellar travel is limited by the speed of light. One of these near neighbors is Vega. The Earth expedition which reaches the Vega system finds it devoid of life. ''The Hour of the Bull'' (1968), the sequel to ''Andromeda'', confronts its 'communist utopia' with a 'capitalist dystopia' in a structure similar to that subsequently used by
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
in Tau Ceti in fiction#Literature, The Dispossessed (1974). * ''Agent of Vega'' (1960), fixup written by James H. Schmitz from stories originally appearing in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Astounding Science Fiction''. In the far future, humans are building the ''Confederacy of Vega'' to replace the fallen ''Empire of Earth''. The new empire includes mutated humans as well as non-humans. The enemies of the Confederacy are also a mix of men (not to mention competent women) and aliens in a space opera setting that features Vega's Zone Agents. Conflict between the league and its adversaries involves both physical and telepathic weapons. * ''This Immortal'' (1966). novel by Roger Zelazny. In this post-apocalyptic novel, Arts Commissioner Conrad Nomikos—who may or may not be immortal, and who may or may not be a god—assumes the irksome task of escorting a Vegan grandee around the ruins of Earth, which is a popular tourist destination for those among the blue-skinned aliens with a hankering for primal thrills. The masterfully manipulative "immortal" isn't the only one with secrets, however; the Vegan harbors dark secrets of his own, and Earth-liberation rebels are trying to kill him. "Conrad Nomikos ... resembles Herakles—whose labors the plot of the novel covertly replicates—but is certainly both the Hero of a Thousand Faces and the Trickster who mocks the high road of myth..." * ''Contact (novel), Contact'' (1985), novel written by Carl Sagan with unacknowledged assistance from Ann Druyan (see also the film ''Contact'' below). Search for extraterrestrial intelligence, SETI researchers detect a message from an extraterrestrial intelligence—a transmitter array in orbit around the star Vega. As signal hunter Ellie Arroway breathlessly proclaims to a colleague over the telephone: "Yes, Vega is smack in the middle of the field of view. And we’re getting what looks like prime number pulses…" After an arduous decoding process, Ellie and her colleagues discover and implement the plans for a wormhole transport device that carries five explorers to the center of the galaxy. There they speak at length with supernal sentiences, but can bring back no proof of the contact—so that when they return home nobody believes their experiences. * ''Have_Space_Suit—Will_Travel, Have Spacesuit, Will Travel'' (1958), young-adult novel written by Robert Heinlein. Two teenagers are kidnapped by an alien invasion's advance party, only to escape with the assistance of a fellow prisoner from the Vega system. Having summoned assistance, their rescuers take them to Vega 5 for medical care and further adventures.


Wolf 359 (CN Leonis)

Wolf 359 is a red dwarf of apparent magnitude 13.5 and thus can only be seen with a large telescope. However, at approximately 7.8 light-years away it is the seventh-List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, closest stellar system to the Sun; only the brown dwarfs WISE 0855−0714 and Luhman 16, as well as Barnard's Star and the three components of the Alpha Centauri system are known to be closer. It is a flare star, so in reality habitation may be difficult. * In ''Proposal'' by w:L. Sprague de Camp, L. Sprague de Camp, published in the November 1952 issue of ''w:Startling Stories, Startling Stories,'' aliens from the first planet of Wolf 359 visit the Earth. * ''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet#Books, The Space Pioneers'' (1953), novel in the ''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' franchise originated by Carey Rockwell. Corbett is in training at the Space Academy to become a member of the elite Solar Guard. The action of the novel takes place at the Academy, aboard the training ship ''Polaris'', and on alien worlds, both within the Solar System and in orbit around nearby stars—specifically on Roald, a planet circling Wolf 359. * The short story "The Outcasts" by George H. Smith (fiction author), George H. Smith (1958) takes place in the Wolf 359 system. It has two inhabited planets: Asgard and Olympia. * "Wolf 359 (The Outer Limits), Wolf 359" (1964), episode of ''The Outer Limits (1963 TV series), The Outer Limits'' television series, written by Seeleg Lester. To test the feasibility of colonizing Dundee Planet in the Wolf 359 system, scientist Jonathan Meridith creates a miniature time-accelerated simulacrum of the planet in his laboratory. When a mysterious lifeform swiftly evolves, Meredith becomes alarmed at its potential. In his final report he writes, "Final report, Dundee Planet, star system Wolf 359. The experiment is finished. My planet is destroyed. My recommendation to the Dundee Foundation: Change the planet selected. It's not a place we can land our spacemen, but the project is feasible..." * ''Captive Universe'' (1969), novel by Harry Harrison. Another generation ship story; this time the pre-technological culture that has forgotten its true provenance is Aztec, and the restless young man who discovers the truth is named Chimal. The ship is the hollowed-out asteroid 433 Eros, Eros, and the destination is Wolf 359, selected after the original choice of Proxima Centauri was abandoned. * ''The Dark Side of the Sun'' (1976), novel by Terry Pratchett. The story is set in a portion of our galaxy populated by exactly 52 different sentient species. All of these species, humanity among them, have evolved in the last five million years, and all of them have evolved in a spherical volume of space only a few dozen light-years across centered on Wolf 359. The rest of the galaxy is sterile. * "The Best of Both Worlds (Star Trek: The Next Generation), The Best of Both Worlds" (1990), double episode of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' written by Michael Piller. The Battle of Wolf 359, the subject of the second episode, is a pivotal confrontation between Borg (Star Trek), the Borg and a defensive Federation fleet in 2367, in which a single Borg cube obliterates a substantial fleet of 39 Federation ships. The battle and its aftermath are significant historical events in the fictional history of the ''Star Trek'' franchise. The battle appears in greater detail in the ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' pilot episode "Emissary (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Emissary" (1993); it is shown again in ''Star Trek: First Contact'' in a flashback sequence and is recounted again by the ex-Borg character Seven of Nine in the ''Star Trek: Voyager'' episode "Infinite Regress (Star Trek: Voyager), Infinite Regress" (1998). * '' Frontier: Elite II'' (1993), '' Frontier: First Encounters'' (1995), and ''Elite Dangerous, Elite:Dangerous'' (2014) computer games written by
David Braben David John Braben (born 2 January 1964) is a British video game developer and designer, founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, co-creator of the '' Elite'' series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-foun ...
''et al''. Wolf 359 is an industrial and mining colony in these games. * ''Terminal Velocity (video game), Terminal Velocity'' (1995), video game developed by Terminal Reality and published by 3D Realms. The game has three episodes, the first of which is distributed as shareware. Each episode features three different worlds, making a total of nine levels. The third mission, to destroy the spaceship ''Moon Dagger'', is set in the Wolf 359 planetary system. * '' Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War'' (1998), computer game developed by Volition and published by
Interplay Entertainment Interplay Entertainment Corp. is an American video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher based in Los Angeles. The company was founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by developers Brian Fargo, Jay Patel, Troy Worrell, and Rebecca ...
. As a kind of in-game payback for failing a mission, the unsuccessful player is given a throw-away assignment with little chance of augmenting his score: The player's character is assigned to fly support for an unimportant mission in the "remote" Wolf 359 system (remote from the War theater, not from the Earth!) * ''Chindi (novel), Chindi'' (2002), Priscilla Hutchins novel by
Jack McDevitt Jack McDevitt (born April 14, 1935) is an American science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make contact with alien races, and with archaeology or xenoarchaeology. Most of his books follow either superluminal pilot Pri ...
. Possibly alien satellites of unknown origin have been discovered orbiting various planets of the Solar System, including the Earth. Hutch's crew sets out to find who placed them there and why. In the course of the mission, the lost ship ''Venture'' is found in the Wolf 359 system. * ''Escape Velocity Nova'' (2002), computer game developed and published by Ambrosia Software. The Federation's Bureau of Internal Investigation—the secret police—has its interstellar headquarters on the planet New England in the Wolf 359 system. * ''The Council Wars#Books, There Will Be Dragons'' (2003), first in the series of four ''The Council Wars, Council Wars'' novels by John Ringo. In this series, humanity inhabits two main worlds: the Earth and a planet in the Wolf 359 system. Civilization is in a state of stagnant decline as men dream away their days in luxury under the care of an omnipotent nanny-AI. Revolutionaries act to shatter this crippling system, and they plunge the worlds into a new Dark Age, complete with medieval-style warfare. * ''Sword of the Stars'' (2006), computer game developed by Kerberos Productions and published by Paradox Interactive. In the game the player chooses one of six races to form an interstellar empire and conquer the galaxy. Key to winning the game's space battles are advanced military technologies, and the game provides the means to "research" them. Character Blasky Yao Hsiang's "Sword of the Stars#Research, research pod" travels in the direction of Wolf 359 on its first subspace journey. * "Who's Afraid of Wolf 359?" (2008), short story by Ken MacLeod. After running afoul of Security on a space station, the unnamed protagonist is coerced into accepting a dangerous assignment: finding out what happened to an experimental colony orbiting Wolf 359. * ''Troy Rising'' (2010–2011), trilogy of military science fiction novels by John Ringo. The Earth is found by aliens arriving through a jumpgate. The first arrivals, the Glatun are friendly traders, but the next species of aliens to arrive, the Horvath, demand all of Earth's Platinum-group and other heavy metals production. One human, Tyler Vernon, manages to enlist the aid of the friendly aliens to help Earth's resistance forces free humanity from the oppressive yoke of the Horvath. With the newfound support from the Glatun, Tyler and his corporation, Apollo Mining, use the portal to travel to the star system Wolf 359, where they build a space-elevator in orbit around a relatively small gas giant. The lower end of the space elevator is deep in the atmosphere of the gas giant and "mines" helium-3 from its atmosphere. The Helium-3 isotope is used as fuel by both mankind's newly built space fleet and the friendly Glatun. Since Wolf 359 is a flare star, the books go into some of the difficulties of shielding the newly constructed gas mine from Wolf's flares and eruptions. * ''Wolf 359 (podcast), Wolf 359'' (2015–2017), a fiction podcast about a crew of astronauts working under the organization Goddard Futuristics. The crew undergoes many unusual and oftentimes upsetting circumstances, discovering the unpalatable truth about their mission, the company, and the star they orbit around, Wolf 359.


Xi Puppis

* ''Star King'' (1964), "Demon Princes" novel by
Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...
. Over drinks, protagonist Kirth Gersen is explaining to lovely Pallis Atwrode the origin of the humanoid race of Star Kings. One theory has it that the same vanished race who "carved Monument Cliff on Xi Puppis X" kidnapped a tribe of Neanderthals long ago and removed them to the Star Kings' homeworld Ghnarumen, there to serve as an experimental evolutionary template for the highly adaptable but still rudimentary native life forms.


Zeta Aquilae (Okab)

* ''Descent II'' (1996), video game developed by Parallax Software and published by
Interplay Entertainment Interplay Entertainment Corp. is an American video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher based in Los Angeles. The company was founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by developers Brian Fargo, Jay Patel, Troy Worrell, and Rebecca ...
. The first four levels of the game are set in mining installations in this star system.


Zeta Ceti (Baten Kaitos)

* ''Baten Kaitos Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean '' and ''Baten Kaitos Origins'', part of the ''Baten Kaitos'' franchise on the Nintendo GameCube published by Monolith Soft.


Zeta Doradus

*In the novels in the ''Halo (franchise), Halo'' series, Zeta Doradus is the home of the Onyx shield world, first appearing in ''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''. The system makes appearances in several later novels featuring the shield world.


Zeta Draconis (Aldhibah)

* ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. Zeta Draconis I is a home to the Aqua Helix, an ancient device worshipped as a sacred relic by the Thraddash. The player must find some way to get around the Thraddash fleet guarding it in order to acquire the Helix, which is necessary to progress.


Zeta Ophiuchi

* In Eric Brown's novel Helix (Eric Brown), ''Helix'', Zeta Ophiuchi is the destination of the colony ship ''Lovelock'' and the location of the Helix.


Zeta Persei (Menkib)

* ''
Star Control II ''Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a 1992 video game, the sequel to '' Star Control''. It was developed by Toys for Bob ( Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III) and originally published by Accolade in 1992 for MS-DOS. This game features exoplan ...
'' (1992), computer game developed by
Toys for Bob Toys for Bob, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. As the creators of the award-winning ''Star Control'' and ''Skylanders'' series, the studio originated as a partnership between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford (p ...
and published by
Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...
. Zeta Persei I is the homeworld of the List of Star Control races#Druuge, Druuge and the Central Trade World of their Crimson Corporation, where the player must go to do business with them.


Zeta Reticuli

* ''Alien (film), Alien'' (1979), film written by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, and directed by Ridley Scott. The spaceship ''Nostromo'' receives a mysterious transmission from a nearby planetoid in or near the ζ2 Reticuli system. It sends an expedition to the surface where they find a derelict alien spacecraft. No name is given for the planetoid in the first movie; by the second, ''Aliens (film), Aliens'', it has been named LB-426 or LV-426. Comic books and other apocryphal materials sometimes refer to it as Acheron. * ''Forty Thousand in Gehenna'' (1983), Alliance-Union universe novel by
C. J. Cherryh Carolyn Janice Cherry (born September 1, 1942), better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has written more than 80 books since the mid-1970s, including the Hugo Award-winning novels '' Downbelo ...
. A group of 42,363 Union colonists are dispatched to set up a base on the habitable planet Gehenna II in the Zeta Reticuli system. Unknown to the settlers, their mission is designed to fail; they are deliberately abandoned to create long-term problems for the rival Alliance. * ''Space: Above and Beyond'' (1995–1996), television series created by Glen Morgan and James Wong (producer), James Wong. In early 2063, the Chigs Chigs#History, wage war against humanity, launching what appears to be an unprovoked first-strike against two human colonies. Zeta Reticuli is the home system of celestial bodies 2063F (the Chig homeworld), 2064R (its moon), Anvil, and Ixion. * ''Silicon Embrace'' (1996), novel written by John Shirley. During a second American Civil War soon, a group of journalists is caught up in a plot hatched by obscure government entities and an alien race from Zeta Reticuli. The Reticulans have been secretly influencing the course of human evolution for thousands of years. * ''Seven Days (TV series), Seven Days'' (1998–2001), television series created by Christopher and Zachary Crowe. A secret NSA department has developed a time machine based on Seven Days (TV series)#Roswell technology, alien technology and a fuel source ("element 115") found in the wreckage of a spacecraft from Zeta Reticuli near Roswell, New Mexico. The show's "Backstep Sphere" can send one operative seven days back in time to avert disasters. * ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, Yu-Gi-Oh!'' (1999), original trading card game published by Konami. It is based on the fictional game of ''Duel Monsters'' created by manga artist Kazuki Takahashi (manga artist), Kazuki Takahashi. One of the collectible cards is "Zeta Reticulant", featuring an alien from the ζ Ret system; when played, it summons Extraterrestrial Biological Entity tokens. * ''Prometheus (2012 film), Prometheus'' (2012), film written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof, and directed by Ridley Scott. In 2089, two scientists discover a star map among the remnants of several ancient Earth cultures. Following the map, the spaceship ''Prometheus'' and its crew arrive on Christmas Day 2093 at the moon LV-223 in the Zeta Reticuli system where they find an abandoned bioweapons installation of a technologically advanced humanoid race and encounter a threat to Earth. * Space Raiders (snack food), Space Raiders, a United Kingdom, British corn snack, lists Zeta Reticuli IX as the home planet of the Space Raider Secoid aliens depicted on the front of the packet. * "Exo-Politics", a song by British band Muse, uses the lyrics "When the Zetas fill the skies" referring to extraterrestrials from the Zeta Reticuli system orbiting and controlling the Earth.


Zeta Tucanae

* ''ISFiC Press, The Cunning Blood'' (2005), novel by Jeff Duntemann. Zeta Tucanae I (Longshadow) is only marginally habitable, given its proximity to the star and its tidally locked rotation. Zeta Tucanae II is an earthlike world that would be a nice place to visit, but is used by Earth as a prison planet—whence its name Hell. * ''Babylon 5'' (1993–1998) TV series by J. Michael Straczynski. Zeta Tucanae III is also known as Centauri Prime, the homeworld of the Centauri Republic.


See also

*Planets in science fiction *Lists of stars


Notes and references


Notes


References

{{Science fiction Fiction about stars, Fiction about planetary systems, Lists of astronomical locations in fiction