Changes: Class M

Revision as of 18:44, 4 July 2015

In the Federation standard system of planetary classification a class M planet, moon, or planetoid was considered to be suitable for humanoid life. By the mid-24th century, thousands of class M planets had been charted by the Federation. These worlds were the first choice for colonization. Since the late 23rd century, the Federation has been terraforming lifeless worlds into class M worlds. Environmental conditions on Federation starships mimic the class M environment. (TOS: "The Cage"; TNG: "Justice", "Home Soil", "Final Mission"; VOY: "Caretaker")

Atmosphere: The atmosphere contained large percentages of nitrogen and oxygen, and smaller percentages of trace elements. Most planets had nucleogenic particles in the atmosphere. (Atmospheres that lacked nucleogenic particles were incapable of producing rain.) The atmosphere on these worlds was approximately Earth normal. (TAS: "The Eye of the Beholder"; TNG: "Clues"; VOY: "Caretaker")
Surface: The surface of these planets was abundant in water. Under the surface, there were additional sources of water. These worlds were geologically active. (VOY: "Caretaker", "Once Upon a Time", "Dragon's Teeth")
Mantle: Some of these worlds had a bemonite mantle. (VOY: "Once Upon a Time")
Planetary core: The planetary core of these planets was nickel-iron. (TNG: "Clues"; VOY: "Once Upon a Time")
Life: These worlds had ecosystems and contained amino acids and protein readings. High percentages of both indicated healthy plant life. Many of these worlds supported carbon-based plant and animal life. A smaller number of these worlds had proto-humanoid, humanoid, and vulcanoid lifeforms. (TNG: "Angel One", "The Chase"; VOY: "Parturition"; ENT: "Bound", "Observer Effect")
Other: Class M worlds emitted electromagnetic radiation. (TNG: "In Theory") These worlds were rich in minerals. (VOY: "Investigations") The gravity on these worlds was generally Earth normal, but could be slightly less or slightly more. (TOS: "The Cage"; TAS: "The Eye of the Beholder") Temperatures might potentially be hot, but there was an upper limit. They were rare in binary systems. (TAS: "Mudd's Passion")

During the mid-22nd century, Vulcan science used the term Minshara class for such planets. Vulcans were not able to determine if a planet was Minshara-class through orbital scans, instead sending down probes to collect the necessary data. (ENT: "Strange New World") In 2151, Starfleet officers were not familiar with the term and Enterprise chose to adopt it. However, by 2154, Starfleet had adopted the term class M. A century later the term "class M" was in general use in Starfleet, even though the term "Earth-type" was also occasionally used.

By the 23rd century it was theorized that there was a mathematical probability of three million Earth-type planets in the Milky Way Galaxy alone. (TOS: "Balance of Terror")

A planet could fall within the range of the M-class classification. This range was from 1 to 4. The Koinonian homeworld was an example of a M-class type 4 planet. (TNG: "The Bonding", "Clues")

Planetary classification

B • D • G • H • J • K • L • M • N • R • T • Y • Other classes

Appendices

Background information

The term "class M" was first used in "The Cage" to describe the planet Talos IV. The variant "M class" was also often used. The term has become Star Trek shorthand for Earth-like, and due to obvious production practicalities is the "default" for planetary surface scenes.
The Vulcan term "Minshara-class" (first used in ENT: "Strange New World") was used in Enterprise to denote planets that in other series would have been called class M by the writers, the implied consequence being that the two terms meant the same, and possibly even that M stood for Minshara. This assumption has been contested by some fans, but is at least supported by the Star Charts. From an in-universe standpoint, the term M-class was first seen chronologically in a text within the Handbook of Exobiology in "Strange New World", the same episode that introduced Minshara-class. However, this mention was barely legible on-screen and may have been included by an art department not yet aware of the intention to use "Minshara class". The first spoken use of the word was in ENT: "Home", in which Archer used it to describe Archer IV, a planet implied (but not confirmed) to be Minshara class in ENT: "Strange New World".
Spock called the planet from TOS: "Return to Tomorrow" class M despite the atmosphere being ripped away, suggesting that class M goes beyond being able to support life. Alternately, he could have been saying that the planet prior to losing its atmosphere would have been categorized as class M.
Ceti Alpha V was described as "barely Minshara class" in "Twilight", but also as no more inhospitable and savage then the site of Australia's Botany Bay colony before colonization in "Space Seed", suggesting that even on a class M planet like Earth there might be locations that stretch the definition.
According to the Star Trek: Star Charts, class M planets have ages that range from three to ten billion years and a diameter between 10,000 and 15,000 kilometers. They are located within the ecosphere of a star system.

Apocrypha

The novel Strangers from the Sky indicates that the term "class M" was used by Humans prior to First Contact with Vulcans, or indeed before Humanity reached any extra-solar planets.

External link

Class M at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:earth.jpg|thumb|The Minshara class planet Earth]]
+[[File:earth.jpg|thumb|The Minshara class planet Earth]]__NOTOC__
-In the [[Federation]] standard system of [[planetary classification]] a '''class M''' [[planet]] or [[planetoid]] was considered to be suitable to [[humanoid]] life. It was generally characterized by an abundance of surface [[water]] and an [[atmosphere]] high in [[nitrogen]], [[oxygen]] and trace [[element]]s. [[Life]] was often abundant on class M planets; they contained extensive [[plant|vegetation]], [[animal]] life, and often had native humanoids. However, life was always [[Carbon-based lifeform|Carbon-based]]. ({{ENT|Observer Effect}})
+In the [[Federation]] standard system of [[planetary classification]] a '''class M''' [[planet]], [[moon]], or [[planetoid]] was considered to be suitable for [[humanoid]] life. By the mid-[[24th century]], thousands of class M planets had been charted by the [[Federation]]. These worlds were the first choice for [[colony|colonization]]. Since the late [[23rd century]], the Federation has been terraforming lifeless worlds into class M worlds. Environmental conditions on Federation starships mimic the class M environment. ({{TOS|The Cage}}; {{TNG|Justice|Home Soil|Final Mission}}; {{VOY|Caretaker}})
+* '''Atmosphere''': The [[atmosphere]] contained large percentages of [[nitrogen]] and [[oxygen]], and smaller percentages of trace [[element]]s. Most planets had [[nucleogenic particle]]s in the atmosphere. (Atmospheres that lacked nucleogenic particles were incapable of producing rain.) The atmosphere on these worlds was approximately [[Earth normal]]. ({{TAS|The Eye of the Beholder}}; {{TNG|Clues}}; {{VOY|Caretaker}})
+* '''Surface''': The surface of these planets was abundant in water. Under the surface, there were additional sources of water. These worlds were geologically active. ({{VOY|Caretaker|Once Upon a Time|Dragon's Teeth}})
+* '''Mantle''': Some of these worlds had a [[bemonite]] mantle. ({{VOY|Once Upon a Time}})
+* '''Planetary core''': The [[planetary core]] of these planets was [[nickel]]-[[iron]]. ({{TNG|Clues}}; {{VOY|Once Upon a Time}})
+* '''Life''': These worlds had [[ecosystem]]s and contained [[amino acid]]s and [[protein]] readings. High percentages of both indicated healthy [[plant]] life. Many of these worlds supported [[Carbon-based lifeform|carbon-based]] plant and [[animal]] life. A smaller number of these worlds had proto-[[humanoid]], humanoid, and [[vulcanoid]] lifeforms. ({{TNG|Angel One|The Chase}}; {{VOY|Parturition}}; {{ENT|Bound|Observer Effect}})
+* '''Other''': Class M worlds emitted [[electromagnetic radiation]]. ({{TNG|In Theory}}) These worlds were rich in [[mineral]]s. ({{VOY|Investigations}}) The gravity on these worlds was generally Earth normal, but could be slightly less or slightly more. ({{TOS|The Cage}}; {{TAS|The Eye of the Beholder}}) Temperatures might potentially be hot, but there was an upper limit. They were rare in binary systems. ({{TAS|Mudd's Passion}})
-During the mid-[[22nd century]], [[Vulcan]] science used the term '''Minshara class''' for such planets. Vulcans were not able to determine if a planet was Minshara class through orbital scans, instead sending down probes to collect the necessary data. ({{ENT|Strange New World}}). While in [[2151]] [[Earth Starfleet|Starfleet]] officers were not familiar with the term, [[Enterprise (NX-01)|''Enterprise'']] chose to adopt the term. However, by [[2154]], Earth Starfleet had adopted the term Class M. A century later the term was in general use in the Federation's Starfleet, even though the term "[[Earth]]-type" was also occasionaly used.
+During the mid-[[22nd century]], [[Vulcan]] science used the term '''Minshara class''' for such planets. Vulcans were not able to determine if a planet was Minshara-class through [[orbital scan]]s, instead sending down probes to collect the necessary data. ({{ENT|Strange New World}}) In [[2151]], Starfleet officers were not familiar with the term and {{NX|Enterprise}} chose to adopt it. However, by [[2154]], Starfleet had adopted the term class M. A century later the term "class M" was in general use in Starfleet, even though the term "[[Earth]]-type" was also occasionally used.
 By the [[23rd century]] it was theorized that there was a [[mathematics|mathematical]] [[probability]] of three million Earth-type planets in the [[Milky Way Galaxy]] alone. ({{TOS|Balance of Terror}})
+A planet could fall within the range of the M-class classification. This range was from 1 to 4. The [[Koinonian homeworld]] was an example of a M-class type 4 planet. ({{TNG|The Bonding|Clues}})
 {{Planetary classification}}
@@ Line 10: / Line 18: @@
 == Appendices ==
 === Background information ===
-*The term "class M" was first used in {{e|The Cage}} to describe the planet [[Talos IV]]. The variant "M class" is also often used. The term has become Star Trek shorthand for Earthlike, and due to obvious production practicalities is the "default" for planetary surface scenes.
+* The term "class M" was first used in {{e|The Cage}} to describe the planet [[Talos IV]]. The variant "M class" was also often used. The term has become ''Star Trek'' shorthand for Earth-like, and due to obvious production practicalities is the "default" for planetary surface scenes.
-*The Vulcan term Minshara class (first used in {{ENT|Strange New World}}) was used in ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|Enterprise]]'' to denote planets that in other series would have been called class M by the writers, the implied consequence being that the two terms meant the same, and possibly even that M stood for Minshara. This assumption has been contested by some fans, but is at least supported by the Star Charts. From an in-universe standpoint The term M-class was first heard chronologically in {{ENT|Home}}, where [[Jonathan Archer|Archer]] used it to describe [[Archer IV]], a planet implied (but not confirmed) to be Minshara class in {{ENT|Strange New World}}.
+* The Vulcan term "Minshara-class" (first used in {{ENT|Strange New World}}) was used in ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|Enterprise]]'' to denote planets that in other series would have been called class M by the writers, the implied consequence being that the two terms meant the same, and possibly even that M stood for Minshara. This assumption has been contested by some fans, but is at least supported by the ''Star Charts''. From an in-universe standpoint, the term M-class was first seen chronologically in a text within the ''[[Handbook of Exobiology]]'' in {{e|Strange New World}}, the same episode that introduced Minshara-class. However, this mention was barely legible on-screen and may have been included by an art department not yet aware of the intention to use "Minshara class". The first spoken use of the word was in {{ENT|Home}}, in which [[Jonathan Archer|Archer]] used it to describe [[Archer IV]], a planet implied (but not confirmed) to be Minshara class in {{ENT|Strange New World}}.
-*[[Spock]] called the planet from {{TOS|Return to Tomorrow}} class M despite the atmosphere being ripped away, suggesting that class M goes beyond being able to support life. Alternately, he could have been saying that the planet prior to losing its atmosphere would have been categorized as class M.
+* [[Spock]] called the planet from {{TOS|Return to Tomorrow}} class M despite the atmosphere being ripped away, suggesting that class M goes beyond being able to support life. Alternately, he could have been saying that the planet prior to losing its atmosphere would have been categorized as class M.
+* [[Ceti Alpha V]] was described as "barely Minshara class" in {{e|Twilight}}, but also as no more inhospitable and savage then the site of [[Australia]]'s [[Botany Bay]] colony before colonization in {{e|Space Seed}}, suggesting that even on a class M planet like Earth there might be locations that stretch the definition.
-*According to the ''[[Star Trek: Star Charts]]'', class M planets have ages that range from three to ten billion years and a diameter between 10,000 and 15,000 kilometers. They are located within the ecosphere of a [[star system]].
+* According to the ''[[Star Trek: Star Charts]]'', class M planets have ages that range from three to ten billion years and a diameter between 10,000 and 15,000 kilometers. They are located within the ecosphere of a [[star system]].
 === Apocrypha ===
-* The novel ''[[Strangers from the Sky]]'' indicates that the term "Class M" was used by Humans prior to [[First Contact]] with Vulcans, or indeed before humanity reached any extra-solar planets.
+* The novel ''[[Strangers from the Sky]]'' indicates that the term "class M" was used by Humans prior to [[First Contact]] with Vulcans, or indeed before Humanity reached any extra-solar planets.
+=== See also ===
+*[[Earth normal]]
 === External link ===
-*{{NCwiki|Class M}}
+*{{mbeta|Class M}}
 [[bg:Клас M]]
@@ Line 25: / Line 37: @@
 [[de:Klasse M]]
 [[es:Clase M]]
-[[fr:Classe M]]
+[[fr:Planète de classe M]]
 [[it:Classe M]]
 [[ja:Mクラス]]