New Planet Classification

== Origin ==
With Space Engine 0.990 being released, the developers revamped the planet classification to be more broad, simple, and universal. Including the temperature, mass, humidity, and atmospheric and hydrosphere properties.https://spaceengine.org/news/blog170924/ This classification went through many revamps, though has stayed the same for the past few years. The Space Engine blog-post which contains this classification can be found here.
(The old classification has also been included here for convenience)
== New Planet Classification ==
=== Temperature ===
* Frigid - 0K+ (Frozen in 0.9.8.0 and below)
* Cold - 90K+
* Cool - 170K+
* Temperate - 250K+
* Warm - 330K+
* Hot - 500K+
* Torrid - 1000K+ (Scorched in 0.9.8.0 and below)
=== Volatiles ===
* Airless - A planet with an atmospheric pressure less than 1 nanobar;
* Arid - A planet with atmospheric pressure greater than 1 nanobar, but with no liquids on its surface;
* Lacustrine - A planet with a small amount of liquid on its surface (lakes and rivers), and, obviously, with an atmosphere (as liquid cannot exist in a vacuum);
* Marine - A planet with seas of a liquid substance, i.e. a significant amount of it, but not completely covering the surface;
* Oceanic - A planet with a global ocean, completely or almost completely covering the surface;
* Superoceanic - A planet with a very deep ocean (hundreds of kilometers deep), with exotic forms of ice forming on its bottom (ice VI and ice VII).
=== Mass ===
==== Solid Planets (Ferria, Carbonia, Terra, Aquaria) ====
* Micro - 0+ M⊕
* Mini - 0.002 M⊕
* Sub - 0.02 M⊕
* No Prefix - 0.2 M⊕
* Super - 2 M⊕
* Mega - 10 M⊕
==== Ice Giants (Neptunes) ====
* Mini - 0+ M⊕
* Sub - 4 M⊕
* No Prefix - 10 M⊕
* Super - 25 M⊕
* Mega - 62.5 M⊕
==== Gas Giants (Jupiters) ====
* Sub - 0+ M♃
* No Prefix - 0.2 M♃
* Super - 2 M♃
* Mega - 10 M♃
=== Bulk Composition ===
* Ferria - Metals (iron, nickel) and siderophilic elements such as sulfur. The boundary is > 50% by mass.
* Carbonia - Carbon and its compounds like carbides, also CO and methane. The boundary is > 25% by mass.
* Aquaria - Water in the form of exotic ices and liquid (but not vapor or supercritical fluid - that is a minineptune). The boundary is > 25% by mass.
* Terra - Not ferria, not carbonia, and not aquaria. Rocky planet whose primary component is silicates (rocks).
* Jupiter - Hydrogen and Helium. The boundary is > 25% by mass.
* Neptune - Not any of the previous classes. Typically, H/He is less than 25%; other substances are water/ammonia/methane and a rocky core. An aquaria with a supercritical vapor atmosphere is classified as a minineptune/subneptune.
=== Old Planet classes ===
Here's a list of planetary classes for version 0.9.8.0 and lower:
* Selena - Rocky planets without an atmosphere. Mercury and the Moon are examples.
* Ice World - A planet whose surface is covered primarily by solidified volatiles.
* Titan -Planets similar to the moon Titan mainly composed of rocky material, water ice and organic compounds.
* Desert - A planet with atmospheric pressure greater than 1 nanobar, but with no liquids on its surface.
* Terra - Rocky planet whose primary component is silicates (rocks).
* Oceania - A planet with a global ocean, completely covering the surface.
* Ice Giant - Gaseous planets composed of heavier elements like carbon, sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen. Uranus and Neptune are examples.
* Gas Giant - Surfaceless planets composed of gases such as Hydrogen and Helium. Jupiter and Saturn are examples.
=== "With life" ===
Does not fall into any of the previous classification categories. Defines that life is present on a planet.
== See Also ==
Space Engine Wiki's planet page
Original planet classification before revamp
== References ==
Category:Featured Articles
Category:Planet Types