A planet symbol (or ''planetary symbol'') is a graphical symbol used in

astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of Celestial o ...

and

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

to represent a

classical planet In classical antiquity, the seven classical planets or seven luminaries are the seven moving astronomical objects in the sky visible to the naked eye: the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The word ''planet'' comes fro ...

(including the Sun and the Moon) or one of the modern planets. The symbols were also used in

alchemy Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, ...

to represent the metals

associated Associated may refer to: *Associated, former name of Avon, Contra Costa County, California * Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto, a school in Canada *Associated Newspapers, former name of DMG Media, a British publishing company See also *Associati ...

with the planets, and in calendars for their associated days. The use of these symbols derives from Classical

Greco-Roman astronomy Greek astronomy is astronomy written in the Greek language in classical antiquity. Greek astronomy is understood to include the Ancient Greek, Hellenistic, Greco-Roman, and Late Antiquity eras. It is not limited geographically to Greece or to et ...

, though their current shapes are a development of the 16th century. The classical planets, their symbols, days and most commonly associated planetary metals are: The

International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...

(IAU) discourages the use of these symbols in modern journal articles, and their style manual proposes one- and two-letter abbreviations for the names of the planets for cases where planetary symbols might be used, such as in the headings of tables. The modern planets with their traditional symbols and IAU abbreviations are: The symbols of Venus and Mars are also used to represent

female Female (Venus symbol, symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ovum, ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the Sperm, male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gamet ...

and

male Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to ...

in biology following a convention introduced by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

in the 1750s.

History

Classical planets

Antecedents of the planetary symbols are attested in the attributes given to classical deities. The Roman

planisphere In astronomy, a planisphere () is a star chart analog computing instrument in the form of two adjustable disks that rotate on a common pivot. It can be adjusted to display the visible stars for any time and date. It is an instrument to assist ...

of Bianchini (2nd century, currently in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

, inv. Ma 540) shows the seven planets represented by portraits of the seven corresponding gods, each a bust with a

halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...

and an iconic object or dress, as follows: Mercury has a

caduceus The caduceus (☤; ; la, cādūceus, from grc-gre, κηρύκειον "herald's wand, or staff") is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology and consequently by Hermes Trismegistus in Greco-Egyptian mythology. The same staff was also ...

and a winged cap; Venus has a necklace and a shining mirror; Mars has a war-helmet and a spear; Jupiter has a laurel crown and a staff; Saturn has a conical headdress and a scythe; the Sun has rays emanating from his head; and the Moon has a crescent atop her head. Bianchini planisphere - Luna.png, Luna with a crescent Bianchini planisphere - Mercury.png, Mercury with a caduceus Bianchini planisphere - Venus.png, Venus with a shining mirror Bianchini planisphere - Sol.png, Sol emanating rays Bianchini planisphere - Mars.png, Mars with a spear Bianchini planisphere - Jupiter.png, Jupiter with a staff Bianchini planisphere - Saturn.png, Saturn with a scythe The written symbols for Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn have been traced to forms found in late Greek papyri. Early forms are also found in medieval Byzantine codices which preserve horoscopes. Moon symbol (medieval ms).png, The symbol for the Moon in a medieval Byzantine (11th c.) ms. The appearance in late Classical times was similar. Mercury symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png, The symbol for Mercury in late Classical (4th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) mss Venus symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png, The symbol for Venus in late Classical (4th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) mss Sun symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png, The disk with a ray as a symbol for the Sun in late Classical (4th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) mss Mars symbol (late classical and medieval ms).png, The symbol for Mars in late Classical (6th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) mss. Jupiter symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png, The symbol for Jupiter in late Classical (4th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) mss Saturn symbol (late classical and medieval mss).png, The symbol for Saturn in late Classical (4th & 5th c.) and medieval Byzantine (11th c.) mss. Cf. kappa-rho, . A diagram in the astronomical compendium by Johannes Kamateros (12th century) closely resemble the 11th-century forms shown above, with the Sun represented by a circle with a single ray, Jupiter by the letter ''

zeta Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; grc, ζῆτα, el, ζήτα, label= Demotic Greek, classical or ''zē̂ta''; ''zíta'') is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 7. It was derived f ...

'' (the initial of

Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=Genitive case, genitive Aeolic Greek, Boeotian Aeolic and Doric Greek#Laconian, Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=Genitive case, genitive el, Δίας, ''D� ...

, Jupiter's counterpart in Greek mythology), Mars by a shield crossed by a spear, and the remaining classical planets by symbols resembling the modern ones, though without the cross-marks seen in modern versions of Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. These cross-marks first appear in the late 15th or early 16th century. According to Maunder, the addition of crosses appears to be "an attempt to give a savour of Christianity to the symbols of the old pagan gods."Maunder (1934) The modern forms of the classical planetary symbols are found in a woodcut of the seven planets in a Latin translation of

Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi, Latinized as Albumasar (also ''Albusar'', ''Albuxar''; full name ''Abū Maʿshar Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar al-Balkhī'' ; , AH 171–272), was an early Persian Muslim astrologer, thought to be the greatest ast ...

's ''De Magnis Coniunctionibus'' printed at Venice in 1506, represented as the corresponding gods riding chariots.Maunder (1934:239) File:Fotothek df tg 0007129 Theosophie ^ Alchemie.jpg, Early modern depiction of the planet symbols in an alchemical context (''

Musaeum Hermeticum ''Musaeum Hermeticum'' ("Hermetic library") is a compendium of alchemical texts first published in German, in Frankfurt, 1625 by Lucas Jennis. Additional material was added for the 1678 Latin edition, which in turn was reprinted in 1749. __NOTO ...

'', 1678) File:Translation of Albumasar Venice 1515 De Magnis Coniunctionibus.jpg, Page spread (with the signs for Mars and Venus) from a 1515 illustrated edition of

's ''De Magnis Coniunctionibus'' (in the by translation by

Herman of Carinthia Herman of Carinthia (1105/1110 – after 1154), also called Hermanus Dalmata or Sclavus Dalmata, Secundus, by his own words born in the "heart of Istria", was a philosopher, astronomer, astrologer, mathematician and translator of Arabic works int ...

, c. 1140, ''editio princeps'' by Erhard Ratdolt of Augsburg, 1489). Abu Ma'shar(Ibn Balkhi)-850AD.png, Depiction of the planets in a 15th-century Arabic manuscript of Abu Ma'shar's "Book of nativities" File:F4.v. zodiac circle with planets - NLW MS 735C.png, Medieval

showing the

zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...

and the

classical planets In classical antiquity, the seven classical planets or seven luminaries are the seven moving astronomical objects in the sky visible to the naked eye: the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The word ''planet'' comes from ...

. The planets are represented by seven faces. File:Center of shield, Robert Boyle Prize for Analytical Science, Royal Society of Chemistry.jpg, Planetary-metal symbols at the center of the coat of arms of the

Royal Society of Chemistry The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society (professional association) in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the Ro ...

Earth symbol

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 ...

is not one of the classical planets, as "planets" by definition were "wandering stars" as seen from Earth's surface. Earth's status as planet is a consequence of heliocentrism in the 16th century. Nonetheless, there is a pre-heliocentric symbol for the world, now used as a planetary symbol for the Earth. This is a circle crossed by a horizontal and vertical line, representing the world divided by four rivers into the four quarters of the world (often translated as the four "corners" of the world): Earth symbol (fixed width)

. A variant, now obsolete, had only the horizontal line: 16px, 🜔."Solar System", in ''The English Cyclopaedia of Arts and Sciences'', vol. VII-VIII, 1861 A medieval European symbol for the world – the

globus cruciger The ''globus cruciger'' ( for, , Latin, cross-bearing orb), also known as "the orb and cross", is an orb surmounted by a cross. It has been a Christian symbol of authority since the Middle Ages, used on coins, in iconography, and with a sceptre ...

(the globe surmounted by a Christian cross) – is also used as a planetary symbol; it resembles an inverted symbol for Venus. The planetary symbols for Earth are encoded in Unicode at and . Marriage of Cupid and Psyche.jpg, The Olympian gods, atop a Earth symbol (fixed width)

-shaped world Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Arubalaan 42-48.jpg, Stylized Earth symbol Wappen Oberwallmenach.png, A simple ''globus cruciger'' File:Maschwanden-blazon.svg, Three ''globi crucigeri'' in the coat of arms of

Maschwanden Maschwanden is a Municipalities of Switzerland, village in the district of Affoltern (district), Affoltern in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Zurich (canton), Zürich in Switzerland. History Maschwanden is first mentioned in 1189 as ''Masw ...

in Switzerland Uppsala län vapenflagga.svg, In the flag of

Uppsala Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...

, the globe of the ''globus cruciger'' is stylized as a T-and-O map, 16px Mosaic in the Tunis Cathedral.jpg, In this ''globus cruciger'', the cross is surmounted on a

celestial orb The celestial spheres, or celestial orbs, were the fundamental entities of the cosmological models developed by Plato, Eudoxus, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, and others. In these celestial models, the apparent motions of the fixed stars ...

with stars

Classical planets

Moon

The

crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...

shape has been used to represent the Moon since earliest times. In classical antiquity, it is worn by lunar deities ( Selene/Luna, Artemis/Diana,

Men A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chro ...

, etc.) either on the head or behind the shoulders, with its horns pointing upward. The representation of the moon as a simple crescent with the horns pointing to the side (as a heraldic ''crescent increscent'' or ''crescent decrescent'') is attested from late Classical times. The same symbol can be used in a different context not for the Moon itself but for a

lunar phase Concerning the lunar month of ~29.53 days as viewed from Earth, the lunar phase or Moon phase is the shape of the Moon's directly sunlit portion, which can be expressed quantitatively using areas or angles, or described qualitatively using the t ...

, as part of a sequence of four symbols for "new moon" (U+1F311 🌑︎), "waxing" (U+263D ☽︎), "full moon" (U+1F315 🌕︎) and "waning" (U+263E ☾︎). Sala_vapen.svg, The Moon symbol, representing

silver mining Silver mining is the extraction of silver from minerals, starting with mining. Because silver is often found in intimate combination with other metals, its extraction requires elaborate technologies. In 2008, ca.25,900 metric tons were consumed ...

, in the municipal coat of arms of Sala in Sweden Silvberg vapen.svg, The Moon symbol in the municipal coat of arms of Silvbergs ('Silver Mountain') in Sweden 20120801-016 Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Arubalaan 74-80.jpg, Stylized Moon symbol

Mercury

The symbol ☿ for

Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

is a

(a staff intertwined with two serpents), a symbol associated with Mercury/Hermes throughout antiquity. Some time after the 11th century, a cross was added to the bottom of the staff to make it seem more Christian. Its Unicode

codepoint In character encoding terminology, a code point, codepoint or code position is a numerical value that maps to a specific character. Code points usually represent a single grapheme—usually a letter, digit, punctuation mark, or whitespace—but ...

is . Early classical white ground lekythos ARV extra Hermes Psychopompos leading deceased woman to Charon (02).jpg, The god Hermes (Mercury) with his caduceus DEU Stahlberg COA.svg, Mercury symbol, representing quicksilver mining, in the municipal coat of arms of Stahlberg,

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...

, Germany. Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Surinamelaan 52-58.jpg, Stylized Mercury symbol

Venus

The Venus symbol, ♀, consists of a circle with a small

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

below it. It has been interpreted as a depiction of the hand-mirror of the goddess, which may also explain Venus's association with the planetary metal copper, as mirrors in antiquity were made of polished copper (alloy), though this is not certain. In the Greek

Oxyrhynchus Papyri The Oxyrhynchus Papyri are a group of manuscripts discovered during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by papyrologists Bernard Pyne Grenfell and Arthur Surridge Hunt at an ancient rubbish dump near Oxyrhynchus in Egypt (, mo ...

235, the symbols for Venus and Mercury didn't have the cross on the bottom stroke, and Venus still appears without the cross (⚲) in Johannes Kamateros (12th century). In

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

and

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

, the symbol for Venus is used to represent the female sex, alongside the symbol for

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 ...

representing the

sex, following a convention introduced by

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

in the 1750s. Arising from the biological convention, the symbol also came to be used in sociological contexts to represent

women A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...

femininity Femininity (also called womanliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed, and there is also some evidence that some behaviors considered fe ...

Unicode Unicode, formally The Unicode Standard,The formal version reference is is an information technology Technical standard, standard for the consistent character encoding, encoding, representation, and handling of Character (computing), text expre ...

encodes the symbol as , in the

Miscellaneous Symbols Miscellaneous Symbols is a Unicode block (U+2600–U+26FF) containing glyphs representing concepts from a variety of categories: astrological, astronomical, chess, dice, musical notation, political symbols, recycling, religious symbols, Bagua, ...

block. Bronze mirror MET DP254654.jpg, A bronze mirror, of the type associated with Venus Falun vapen.svg, The Venus symbol, representing copper mining, in the municipal coat of arms of

Falun Municipality Falun Municipality (''Falu kommun'') is a municipality in Dalarna County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Falun. Falun is the second biggest city and provincial capital of Dalarna County. Falun was originally famous for its co ...

in Sweden (1932). Woman-power emblem.svg , Raised fist within Venus symbol, used as a symbol of

second-wave feminism Second-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity that began in the early 1960s and lasted roughly two decades. It took place throughout the Western world, and aimed to increase equality for women by building on previous feminist gains. Wh ...

(1960s) Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Arubalaan 58-64.jpg, Stylized Venus symbol Venus has also been identified as the star in a range of star and crescent depictilns and symbols.

Sun

The modern astronomical symbol for the Sun, the circumpunct (), was first used in the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

. It possibly represents Apollo's golden shield with 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, ...

; it is unknown if it traces descent from the nearly identical

Egyptian hieroglyph Egyptian hieroglyphs (, ) were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt, used for writing the Egyptian language. Hieroglyphs combined logographic, syllabic and alphabetic elements, with some 1,000 distinct characters.There were about 1,00 ...

for the Sun. ''Bianchini's

'', produced in the 2nd century, shows a

circlet A circlet is a piece of headwear that is similar to a diadem or a corolla. The word 'circlet' is also used to refer to the base of a crown or a coronet, with or without a cap. Diadem and circlet are often used interchangeably, and 'open crowns' wi ...

with rays radiating from it. In late Classical times, the Sun is attested as a circle with a single ray. A diagram in Johannes Kamateros' 12th century ''Compendium of Astrology'' shows the same symbol. This older symbol is encoded by

as in the

Alchemical Symbols Alchemical symbols, originally devised as part of alchemy, were used to denote some elements and some compounds until the 18th century. Although notation like this was mostly standardized, style and symbol varied between alchemists, so this pag ...

block. Both symbols have been used alchemically for gold, as have more elaborate symbols showing a disk with multiple rays or even a face. Outlines from the figures and compositions upon the Greek, Roman, and Etruscan vases of the late Sir William Hamilton; with engraved borders (1804) (14779549222).jpg, A buckler with a sun symbol and dot at center Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Arubalaan 10-16.jpg, Stylized circumpunct symbol for the Sun

Mars

The Mars symbol, ♂, is a depiction of a circle with an arrow emerging from it, pointing at an angle to the upper right in Europe and to the upper left in India. As astrological symbol it represents the planet

. It is also the old and obsolete symbol for

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...

in alchemy. In zoology and botany, it is used to represent the male sex (alongside the astrological symbol for Venus representing the female sex), following a convention introduced by

in the 1750s. The symbol dates from at latest the 11th century, at which time it was an arrow across or through a circle, thought to represent the shield and spear of the god Mars; in the medieval form, for example in the 12th-century ''Compendium of Astrology'' by Johannes Kamateros, the spear is drawn across the shield. The Greek

show a different symbol, perhaps simply a spear. ALEXANDER SEVERUS-RIC IV 246-737118 MARS.jpg, 3rd-century coin with Mars on the reverse, with lance and shield. The same symbols were used for Athena (Pallas). Karlskoga vapen.svg, The Mars symbol, representing

iron mining Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

, in the municipal coat of arms of

Karlskoga Karlskoga () is a locality and the seat of Karlskoga Municipality, Sweden. Located within Örebro County, 45 km (28 mi) west of Örebro, and 10 km (6 mi) north of Degerfors. With a 2020 population of 27,386 distributed over 10.55 square miles (27. ...

in Sweden Loppi vaakuna.svg, The Mars symbol in the municipal coat of arms of

Loppi Loppi (; Swedish also ) is a municipality in Finland. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper region, located about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) south of the city of Hämeenlinna. Loppi was founded ...

in Finland Project Viking Logo - Patch Style 1974-L-01916.jpg, Mars symbol in the patch for NASA's ''

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

'' mission Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van De Genestetlaan 20-28.jpg, Stylized Mars symbol. The spear partly crosses the shield. Its Unicode

is .

Jupiter

The symbol for

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...

, ♃, is originally a Greek zeta, Ζ, with a stroke indicating that it is an abbreviation (for

, the Greek equivalent of Roman Jupiter). Its Unicode

is . Mariner Jupiter-Saturn logo.jpg, Jupiter and Saturn symbols in patch for NASA's Mariner Jupiter-Saturn mission Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Surinamelaan 76-82.jpg, Stylized Jupiter symbol

Saturn

Salmasius Claude Saumaise (15 April 1588 – 3 September 1653), also known by the Latin name Claudius Salmasius, was a French classical scholar. Life Salmasius was born at Semur-en-Auxois in Burgundy. His father, a counsellor of the parlement of Dijon, se ...

and earlier attestations show that the symbol for Saturn, ♄, derives from the initial letters (

Kappa Kappa (uppercase Κ, lowercase κ or cursive ; el, κάππα, ''káppa'') is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless velar plosive sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals, has a value o ...

rho Rho (uppercase Ρ, lowercase ρ or ; el, ρο or el, ρω, label=none) is the 17th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 100. It is derived from Phoenician letter res . Its uppercase form uses the sa ...

) of its ancient Greek name (), with a stroke to indicate an abbreviation. By the time of Kamateros (12th century), the symbol had been reduced to a shape similar to a lower-case letter ''

eta Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἦτα ''ē̂ta'' or ell, ήτα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...

'' η, with the abbreviation stroke surviving (if at all) in the curl on the bottom-right end. The horizontal stroke was added along with the "Christianization" of other symbols in the early 16th century. Its Unicode

is . FraternitasSaturniSiegel.svg, Emblem of the ''

Fraternitas Saturni Fraternitas Saturni (lat.: "Brotherhood of Saturn") is a German magical order, founded in 1926 by Eugen Grosche a.k.a. Gregor A. Gregorius and four others. It is one of the oldest continuously running magical groups in Germany. The lodge is, as ...

'', a German

magical order A magical organization or magical order is an organization created for the practice of ceremonial or other forms of occult magic or to further the knowledge of magic among its members. Magical organizations can include Hermetic orders, Wiccan ...

founded in 1926 Wappen der Ortschaft Bleiwäsche.png, The Saturn symbol representing

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

in the municipal coat of arms of ''Bleiwäsche'', since 1975 part of

Bad Wünnenberg Bad Wünnenberg is a town in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the river Aabach, approximately 20 km south of Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

, Germany Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Surinamelaan 60-66.jpg, Stylized Saturn symbol

Modern discoveries

Uranus

The symbols for

Uranus Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. Its name is a reference to the Greek god of the sky, Uranus (mythology), Uranus (Caelus), who, according to Greek mythology, was the great-grandfather of Ares (Mars (mythology), Mars), grandfather ...

were created shortly after its discovery in 1781. One symbol, ⛢, invented by J. G. Köhler and refined by Bode, was intended to represent the newly discovered metal

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

; since platinum, commonly called white gold, was found by chemists mixed with iron, the symbol for platinum combines the alchemical symbols for

, ♂, and

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

, ☉. Gold and iron are the planetary metals for the Sun and Mars, and so share their symbols. Several orientations were suggested, but an upright arrow is now universal. Another symbol, ♅, was suggested by Lalande in 1784. In a letter to Herschel, Lalande described it as "" ("a globe surmounted by the first letter of your name"). The platinum symbol tends to be used by astronomers and the monogram by astrologers. For use in computer systems, the symbols are encoded and . Planetary symbols (1784).png, The planetary symbols as rendered in 1784, including the newly discovered Uranus (left) William Herschel heraldry cropped.jpg, The Uranus platinum symbol on

William Herschel Frederick William Herschel (; german: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel; 15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a German-born British astronomer and composer. He frequently collaborated with his younger sister and fellow astronomer Caroline H ...

's heraldry Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Arubalaan 26-32.jpg, Stylized Uranus monogram

Neptune

Several symbols were proposed for

Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 times ...

to accompany the suggested names for the planet. Claiming the right to name his discovery,

Urbain Le Verrier Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier FRS (FOR) HFRSE (; 11 March 1811 – 23 September 1877) was a French astronomer and mathematician who specialized in celestial mechanics and is best known for predicting the existence and position of Neptune using ...

originally proposed to name the planet for the

Roman God Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore, ''Roman mythology'' may also refer to the modern study of these representat ...

'' and the symbol of a

trident A trident is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in classical mythology. The trident may occasionally be held by other marine ...

, while falsely stating that this had been officially approved by the French Bureau des Longitudes. In October, he sought to name the planet ''Leverrier'', after himself, and he had loyal support in this from the observatory director, François Arago, who in turn proposed a new symbol for the planet, ⯉ ( Neptune monogram (fixed width)

). However, this suggestion met with resistance outside France, and French almanacs quickly reintroduced the name ''Herschel'' for ''Uranus'', after that planet's discoverer Sir

, and ''Leverrier'' for the new planet, though it was used by anglophone institutions. Professor

James Pillans James Pillans FRSE (1778–1864) was a Scottish classical scholar and educational reformer. He is credited with inventing the blackboard, but more correctly was the inventor of coloured chalk. Early life The son of James Pillans, he was b ...

of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

defended the name ''

Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; la, Ianvs ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janu ...

'' for the new planet, and proposed a key for its symbol. Meanwhile, Struve presented the name ''Neptune'' on December 29, 1846, to the

Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...

. In August 1847, the Bureau des Longitudes announced its decision to follow prevailing astronomical practice and adopt the choice of ''Neptune'', with Arago refraining from participating in this decision. The planetary symbol was

Neptune's trident The trident of Poseidon and his Roman equivalent, Neptune, has been their traditional divine attribute in many ancient depictions. Poseidon's trident was crafted by the Cyclopes. Myths In Greek mythology, Poseidon's trident was forged by t ...

, with the handle stylized either as a cross Neptune symbol (fixed width)

, following Mercury, Venus and the asteroids, or as an orb Neptune orb symbol (fixed width)

, following the symbols for Uranus and Earth. The cross variant is the more common today. For use in computer systems, the symbols are encoded as and . Athena Poseidon Cdm Paris DeRidder222.jpg, Athena (Pallas) with her lance and Poseidon (Neptune) with his trident. These weapons became the symbols of the planets Pallas and Neptune, respectively. Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Surinamelaan 68-74.jpg, Stylized Neptune symbol (orb base) Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Surinamelaan 84-90.jpg, Stylized Neptune symbol (cross base)

Pluto

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the S ...

was almost universally considered a planet from its discovery in 1930 until its re-classification as a

dwarf planet A dwarf planet is a small planetary-mass object that is in direct orbit of the Sun, smaller than any of the eight classical planets but still a world in its own right. The prototypical dwarf planet is Pluto. The interest of dwarf planets to p ...

(planetoid) by the IAU in 2006. Planetary geologists and astrologers continue to treat it as a planet. The original planetary symbol for Pluto was a

monogram A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...

of the letters P and L. Astrologers generally use a

bident A bident is a two-pronged implement resembling a pitchfork. In Greek mythology, the bident is a weapon associated with Hades (Pluto), the ruler of the underworld. Likewise, the three-pronged trident is the implement of his brother Poseidon ( Ne ...

with an orb. NASA has used the bident symbol since Pluto's reclassification. These symbols are encoded as and . Plate 7- Pluto in a niche, holding a bident, with Cerberus next to him, from a series of mythological gods and goddesses MET DP830883.jpg, Pluto holding a bident 20120801-017 Amersfoort - Reliëf op de wand van Arubalaan 90-96.jpg, Pluto symbol stylized as an inverted Mercury Pluto symbol (northern Europe, variant).svg, ⯖, an astrological symbol used for Pluto in Germany and Denmark, representing Pluto's orbit crossing Neptune's Pluto_symbol_(southern_Europe).svg, ⯔, an astrological symbol used in the Mediterranean and Germany. The globe at bottom may be larger or omitted altogether.

Minor planets

Bezeichnung der Himmelskörper Encke 1850

In the 19th century, planetary symbols for the major

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...

s were also in use, including

1 Ceres Ceres (; minor-planet designation: 1 Ceres) is a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It was the first asteroid discovered, on 1 January 1801, by Giuseppe Piazzi at Palermo Astronomical Observatory in Sici ...

(a reaper's

sickle A sickle, bagging hook, reaping-hook or grasshook is a single-handed agricultural tool designed with variously curved blades and typically used for harvesting, or reaping, grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock, ei ...

, encoded ),

2 Pallas Pallas (minor-planet designation: 2 Pallas) is the second asteroid to have been discovered, after Ceres. It is believed to have a mineral composition similar to carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, like Ceres, though significantly less hyd ...

(a lance, ) and 3 Juno (a sceptre, encoded ). Encke (1850) used symbols for 5 Astraea,

6 Hebe Hebe (minor planet designation: 6 Hebe) is a large main-belt asteroid, containing around 0.5% of the mass of the belt. However, due to its apparently high bulk density (greater than that of the Moon or even Mars), Hebe does not rank among the to ...

7 Iris Iris (minor planet designation: 7 Iris) is a large main-belt asteroid and perhaps remnant planetesimal orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. It is the fourth-brightest object in the asteroid belt. It is classified as an S-type asteroid, mea ...

8 Flora Flora (minor planet designation: 8 Flora) is a large, bright Asteroid belt, main-belt asteroid. It is the innermost ''large'' asteroid: no asteroid closer to the Sun has a diameter above 25 kilometres (20% that of Flora), and not until 20-km 149 ...

and

9 Metis Metis ( minor planet designation: 9 Metis) is one of the larger main-belt asteroids. It is composed of silicates and metallic nickel-iron, and may be the core remnant of a large asteroid that was destroyed by an ancient collision. Metis is es ...

in the ''Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch''. In the late 20th century, astrologers abbreviated the symbol for

4 Vesta Vesta (minor-planet designation: 4 Vesta) is one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, with a mean diameter of . It was discovered by the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers on 29 March 1807 and is named after Vesta, the ...

(the

sacred fire of Vesta The sacred fire of Vesta was a sacred eternal flame in ancient Rome. The Vestal Virgins, originally numbering two, later four, and eventually six, were selected by lot and served for thirty years, tending the holy fire and performing other ritua ...

, encoded ), and introduced new symbols for 5 Astraea ( Astraea symbol (astrology, fixed width)

, a stylised % sign, shift-5 on the keyboard for asteroid 5),

10 Hygiea Hygiea (minor-planet designation: 10 Hygiea) is a major asteroid and possible dwarf planet located in the main asteroid belt. With a diameter of and a mass estimated to be 3% of the total mass of the belt, it is the fourth-largest asteroid in ...

– a common error in the USA for a staff of Asclepius, itself an error for the snake symbol of Hygiea – encoded ) and for 2060 Chiron, discovered in 1977 (a key, ). Chiron's symbol was adapted as additional centaurs were discovered; symbols for 5145 Pholus and

7066 Nessus 7066 Nessus is a very red centaur on an eccentric orbit, located beyond Saturn in the outer Solar System. It was discovered on 26 April 1993, by astronomers of the Spacewatch program at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. The ...

have been encoded in Unicode. The abbreviation of the Vesta symbol is now universal, and the astrological symbol for Pluto has been used astronomically for Pluto as a dwarf planet. In the early 21st century, symbols for the

trans-Neptunian A trans-Neptunian object (TNO), also written transneptunian object, is any minor planet in the Solar System that orbits the Sun at a greater average distance than Neptune, which has a semi-major axis of 30.1 astronomical units (au). Typically, ...

dwarf planets have come into use, particularly Eris (the

hand of Eris Discordianism is a religion, philosophy, or paradigm centered on Eris, a.k.a. Discordia, the Goddess of chaos. Discordianism uses archetypes or ideals associated with her. It was founded after the 1963 publication of its "holy book," the ''Pri ...

, ⯰, but also ⯱), Sedna,

Haumea Haumea (minor-planet designation 136108 Haumea) is a dwarf planet located trans-Neptunian object, beyond Neptune's orbit. It was discovered in 2004 by a team headed by Michael E. Brown, Mike Brown of Caltech at the Palomar Observatory in the United ...

Makemake Makemake (minor-planet designation 136472 Makemake) is a dwarf planet and – depending on how they are defined – the second-largest Kuiper belt object in the classical population, with a diameter approximately 60% that of Pluto. It ...

, , and which are in Unicode. All (except Eris, for which the hand of Eris is a traditional

Discordian Discordianism is a religion, philosophy, or paradigm centered on Eris, a.k.a. Discordia, the Goddess of chaos. Discordianism uses archetypes or ideals associated with her. It was founded after the 1963 publication of its "holy book," the ''Pri ...

symbol) were devised by Denis Moskowitz, a software engineer in Massachusetts. Ceres, Bacchus and Amor Dutch School Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed B618.jpg, Ceres with her sickle Athena Poseidon Cdm Paris DeRidder222.jpg, Athena (Pallas) with her lance (left) Abraham Bloemaert, Juno, c.1610, NGA 152769.jpg, Juno with her scepter D'Antoine - Consécration d'une jeune vestale en présence des déesses Minerve et Vesta.jpg, Vesta's sacred fire Hygeia-Hermitage.jpg, Hygiea with her snake (old astr. symbol ) Makemake.jpg, Petroglyph of Makemake Bomarzo parco mostri orco.jpg, Orcus's gape File:Shan hai jing Zhuyin.jpg, A human-headed serpent similar to depictions of Gonggong Hand of Eris.svg, The Hand of Eris from the ''

Principia Discordia The ''Principia Discordia'' is the first published Discordian religious text. It was written by Greg Hill (Malaclypse the Younger) with Kerry Wendell Thornley (Lord Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst) and others. The first edition was printed allegedly using ...

Additional symbols

From 1845 to 1855, many symbols were created for newly discovered asteroids. But by 1851, the spate of discoveries had led to a general abandonment of these symbols in favour of numbering all asteroids instead. AstraeaVSH.JPG, Astraea with her scales (astronomical symbol Canova-Hebe 30 degree view.jpg, Hebe bearing a cup (astr. symbol ) Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien 2016 Kunstkammer Gaetano Matteo Monti Iris als Regenbogengöttin KK 5503 b.jpg, Iris as the rainbow (astr. symbol ) Flora dispensing Her Favours on the Earth.jpg, Flora dispensing flowers (astr. symbol ) NAMA Sirène.jpg, Parthenope with her lyre (astr. symbol ) Victory Column or Siegessäule in Berlin Tiergarten 0962.jpg, Victory with a laurel wreath (astr. symbol or ) Alegorie míru, náměstí Míru, Vinohrady, Praha.jpg, Peace (Irene) as a freed dove (astr. symbol ) Germania frieden.jpg, Peace with wings and an olive branch Psyche on a camel.jpg, Psyche with butterfly wings (astr. symbol ) Hermes-Psyche-Palais-Garnier (cropped).jpg, Psyche accompanied by a butterfly, and Hermes with a multiply twisted caduceus Library of the world's best literature, ancient and modern (1902) (14759296956).jpg, Psyche with butterfly wings, and Charon standing in his lunate boat Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 2001-89-2 - Dinos de Tetis y Peleo 03.jpg, Thetis with a dolphin (astro. symbol file:Thetis symbol (fixed width).svg) Melpomene Pio-Clementino Inv299.jpg, Melpomene with a dagger (astr. symbol file:Melpomene symbol (fixed width).svg) Fortune et sa roue détail.png, Fortuna with her wheel (astro. symbol file:Fortuna symbol (fixed width).svg) Hymen is kneeling before Fortune, who is balancing blindfold Wellcome V0047969.jpg, blindfolded Fortuna balanced on a wheel Dante Gabriel Rossetti - Proserpine - Google Art Project.jpg, Proserpina with a pomegranate (astr. symbol file:Proserpina symbol (fixed width).svg) Jan Muller after Bartholomaeus Spranger, Bellona Leading the Imperial Armies Against the Turks, 1600, NGA 153994.jpg, Bellona with a lance and flail (astro. symbol file:Bellona symbol (fixed width).svg) Amphitrite LACMA M.88.91.381b.jpg, Amphitrite on a shell (astr. symbol file:Amphitrite symbol (fixed width).svg) Moskowitz, who designed symbols for the trans-Neptunian dwarf planets, also designed symbols for the smaller trans-Neptunian objects

Varuna Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, such ...

Ixion In Greek mythology, Ixion ( ; el, Ἰξίων, ''gen''.: Ἰξίονος means 'strong native') was king of the Lapiths, the most ancient tribe of Thessaly. Family Ixion was the son of Ares, or Leonteus, or Antion and Perimele, or the not ...

, and

Salacia In ancient Roman mythology, Salacia ( , ) was the female divinity of the sea, worshipped as the goddess of salt water who presided over the depths of the ocean. Neptune was her consort. That Salacia was the consort of Neptune is implied by Va ...

. Others have proposed symbols for even more trans-Neptunian objects, e.g. Zane Stein for

Varda Varda may refer to: People * Agnès Varda (1928–2019), French film director and professor *Jean Varda (1893–1971), Greek artist * Ratko Varda (born 1979), Bosnian basketball player *Rosalie Varda (born 1958), French costume designer, produce ...

. Although mentioned in the

proposal for the other dwarf planets, they lack broader adoption. File:Amphitrite Terme di Nettuno Ostia Antica 2006-09-08.jpg, Salacia riding her

hippocamp The hippocampus or hippocamp, also ''hippokampos'' (plural: hippocampi or hippocamps; grc, ἱππόκαμπος, from , "horse" and , "sea monster"

(symbol ) File:Ixion in sky campanian amphora.jpg, Ixion bound to his wheel (symbol or ) File:Varuna makara.jpg, Varuna with his snake-lasso (symbol ) File:Varda Elentári.jpg, Varda kindling the stars (symbol ) File:Star of Chaos Warhammer.svg, The Symbol of Chaos () in ''

Warhammer 40,000 ''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...

References

Sources

* {{Portal bar, Astronomy, Stars, Spaceflight, Outer space, Solar System Alchemical symbols Astronomical symbols History of astrology