List of minor Foundation universe planets

This is a list of minor planets in Isaac Asimov's Foundation, Robot, and Empire series. Most are mentioned only by name.:"See also: List of Foundation universe planets

61 Cygni

The star system 61 Cygni, in the Sirius Sector, is advanced by Lord Dorwin as the potential site for a planet of origin for the human species. Lord Dorwin cites 'Sol' and three other planetary systems in the Sirius Sector, along with Arcturus in the Arcturus Sector, as potential original worlds. This fact seems to be contradicted by information given in "Foundation and Earth".

Alpha

Alpha is a fictional planet orbiting the larger of the two stars in the Alpha Centauri system.

In Asimov's "Foundation Series", Alpha Centauri is cited by Lord Dorwin as one of the solar systems where humankind potentially originated. The others are Sol, Sirius, 61 Cygni and Arcturus. It is in fact the system closest to Earth. Beyond mentioning that it is in the Sirius Sector, Dorwin gives no further details.

In a later book, "Foundation and Earth", Alpha is a planet orbiting the larger of the two stars in the Alpha Centauri system. Golan Trevize discovers Alpha when he attempts to find the location of Earth by locating the center of a 'best sphere' made from the co-ordinates of the 50 Spacer worlds.

The planet is discovered to be entirely covered by an ocean, with the exception of a single island with a surface area of 15,000 square kilometres. (For comparison, Sicily is just over 25,000 square kilometres.) The inhabitants call it New Earth and live a simple lifestyle.

The description of New Earth's culture in "Foundation and Earth" cannot be entirely relied upon. While the inhabitants seemed to be warm and welcoming, co-existing peacefully in an egalitarian society, this could have been a show designed to put the foreign visitors at ease while they were infected with a virus. The only certain facts about New Earth culture are that both women and men are completely shirtless, weather permitting, and the men engage in long sea voyages to fish.

The planet Alpha was apparently terraformed habitable by the old Galactic Empire and its only land surface is the small island on which the Alphans live. This can be explained by its history: according to information pieced together by Janov Pelorat, the Galactic Empire, likely under Kandar V, laboured to create land on which the last refugees of Earth could live. Then the funds and interest of the Empire ran out and the plans for continents were scrapped. Alpha was left alone for millennia, with only highly advanced weather control and biotechnology.

Alpha first appears in "Foundation and Earth", which confirms a merger between the Spacer and Foundation series. In the Spacer series, the planet Aurora in the Tau Ceti system is the first extrasolar colony, suggesting that Alpha Centauri had no habitable worlds. This fits with the late and expensive settlement of Alpha.

What does not easily fit is the belief in the early Foundation era that "Alpha Centauri" might have been the original solar system. A terraformed planet with a very small land area would not be plausible.

See also "Alpha Centauri in fiction"

Asperta

A planet mentioned by Mayor Indbur in "Foundation and Empire", as a planet to which the Foundation protested some 'sharp trade practises'.

Baronn

A planet mentioned in "Pebble in the Sky", as the birthplace of Bel Arvardan.

Bonde

Mentioned by Mayor Indbur in "Foundation and Empire", one of the planets in the Foundation.

Cil

Mentioned in "Second Foundation". It lay on the normal trade route between Kalgan and Tazenda.

Cinna

Mentioned in "Prelude to Foundation". Dors Venabili was supposedly from Cinna. The only descriptions of Cinna known come from Dors, and since she was a robot that most likely had never been to Cinna, they may not be accurate. According to Dors, Cinna is a small, unimportant world, where the amount of cloth in beachware leaves 'very little to the imagination'.

Derowd

A planet mentioned by Dors Venabili in Prelude to Foundation. On Derowd, promiscuous sexual activity was permitted without restraint even in public, providing traffic was not blocked. The idea was to allow people to live out all their fantasies, so they would be ready to settle down after marriage. After marriage, the concept of monogamy was absolute and unbroken. The practise stopped around 11,700 G.E. Many associates of Dr. Venabili believed that this was from pressure by other planets, who lost a great deal of tourist business to Derowd.

Euterpe

One of the Spacer worlds. It was a popular tourist destination for the spacers, because of its exceptionally large rainforests. Euterpe has one satellite, 'Gemstone', with a radius of 120 km (75 miles). It is named after Euterpe, the Muse of music.

Florina

In The Currents of Space, Florina is the home of "kyrt," an extremely strong yet beautiful cloth that grows only on Florina. It is in practical serfdom to the planet Sark.

Fomalhaut

A planet mentioned in the Empire Series whose inhabitants speak an extreme dialect of Galactic Standard Speech. Compare Fomalhaut, a star in the real universe.

Gamma Andromeda

Gamma Andromeda is a star system in which a nuclear meltdown occurred in 50 F.E, in "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov. The meltdown killed several million people and destroyed at least half the planet. It was caused by ill-done repairs and shoddy-made replacement parts done several decades before. Following the incident on Gamma Andromeda V, the Galactic Empire considered severely limiting the use of nuclear power.

Getorin

Mentioned in "Forward the Foundation". In the book, Hari Seldon attempted to convince Yugo Amaryl to take a break from working on psychohistory and take a vacation on Getorin, a 'resort planet nearby' (near Trantor). It was probably part of the pre-Imperial Kingdom of Trantor.

Glyptal IV

A planet in the Glyptal System in the Galactic Periphery. The Foundation was attempting to bring it into its religious sphere of influence roughly twenty years before the war with Korell. Limmar Ponyets happened to be on Glyptal IV in time to be sent to Askone to rescue Eskel Gorov. During this mission, Askone began to be brought under the Foundation's influence.

Haven

Mentioned in "Foundation and Empire". It was one of the Association of Independent Trading Worlds, quasi-independent from the Foundation. It was the second planet in its star system, a barren world made primarily of uneroded rock formations. Most of the cities were in underground caves. One of these cities, Gleiar city, was the site of an attempted landing by Foundation tax-collectors. Toran Darell, husband of Bayta Darrell, was a native of Haven.

Helicon

Helicon is the name of the home planet of Hari Seldon, discoverer and developer of psychohistory. Helicon was small in population and not particularly rich in resources, and tended to be bullied by its more powerful neighbours. It was noted for martial arts (called 'Twisting' in the Foundation Universe). Hari Seldon claimed that the best Twisters came from Helicon, although his objectivity is questionable. It may be covered primarily by land, as opposed to sea. Tobacco may be grown there, though the only evidence of this is Seldon's father's supposed occupation, labelled by the Encyclopedia Galactica 'a legend of doubtful validity'. In the seventh century of the tenth millennium of the Galactic Era, a large movement of Heliconians convinced themselves that Helicon was the only inhabited world in the Galaxy.

Two indigenous species are known: the "lamec", a beast of burden, and the "greti", a dangerous animal. The names of these animals are most likely anagrams of "camel" and "tiger", respectively. Further evidence can be inferred from local Helicon saying recited by Seldon: "If you ride a greti, you find you can't get off; for then it will eat you." This saying bears uncanny resemblance to the well-known Chinese proverb "騎虎難下" (He who rides the tiger finds it difficult to dismount).

Apart from Arcturus, it is the only known planet in the Arcturus Sector.

Hesperos

A Spacer planet in "Robots and Empire". It was one of the original Spacer worlds, and the one on which Vasilia Aliena awaited the death of her father, Han Fastolfe. It is named after Hesperos, the Greek god associated with the star Venus.

Horleggor

The site of the Mule's first victory against the Foundation.

Ifni

Ifni was the site of a battle during the Foundation's war with Kalgan; with the exception of the "F.S. Ebling Mis", all ships in the Foundation squadron were destroyed.

Iss

A planet in "Foundation and Empire". It was one of the Association of Independent Trading Worlds, which were quasi-independent from the Foundation. Together with Haven and Mnemon, it represented half of the military power of the traders. At the Radole conference, Iss was represented by one Mangin.

Livia

Briefly mentioned in "Foundation and Earth". It was the home world of the scientist Humbal Yariff, who attempted to find the location of Earth.

Locris

(or Loris)Locris was 20 parsecs (65 light years) from Terminus, and 800 parsecs (2600 light years) from Santanni. "Locris" exported wine, which was noted for excellent quality. Captain Han Pritcher was a native of "Loris". "Loris" was briefly held by the Empire during the campaigns of Bel Riose. It is named after Locris, a region of ancient Greece.

Lyonesse

Mentioned by Mayor Indbur in "Foundation and Empire", forming a trade agreement with the Foundation. It was conquered by the Mule in 300 F.E.

Lystena

A planet on the outer edge of the Galaxy mentioned in "Forward the Foundation".

Mandress

Mentioned in "Foundation's Edge". It was in the inner provinces of the old Galactic Empire, to which Harla Branno served as an ambassador in her earlier years.

Melpomenia

The nineteenth Spacer World settled, mentioned in "Foundation and Earth". It contained a large monument called the 'Hall of the Worlds', which contained a large room with the fifty Spacer Worlds listed with co-ordinates on seven columns; Melpomenia was the origin point. Using data from these columns, translated by Janov Pelorat, Golan Trevize was able to construct a sphere, the centre of which would be roughly close to Earth. The planet itself, however, was rendered virtually uninhabitable by a radical climate change; the only life form able to survive it was a carbon-dioxide feeding 'moss'. Golan Trevize had to use his blaster to melt away the alien substance on his ship, and the face plates on his and Pelorat's space suits. Only after bathing the rest of the ship in the UV rays of the sun did he leave the forsaken planet. It is presumably named for Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy.

Mnemon

Mentioned in "Foundation and Empire", one of the members of the Association of Independent Trading Worlds, quasi-independent from the Foundation. Together with Haven and Iss, it represented half of the traders' military capacity. It was represented at the Radole Conference by Ovall Gri. Partway through the conference, Mnemon was attacked by the Mule. Because of the tenacity of the traders, the Mule would not have been successful if he had not had an atomic-field depressor. This event pushed the Traders into war, siding with the Foundation against the Mule.

Mores

Mentioned by Mayor Indbur in "Foundation and Empire", that completed a commercial treaty with the Foundation in 300 F.E.

Neotrantor

Neotrantor, or 'New Trantor', became the capital of the Empire after Gilmer sacked Trantor. The planet was originally called Delicass, and rules over only 20 planets.

Nexon

At 2 parsecs (6.5 light years) from Solaria, it formed with Solaria the closest pair of Spacer worlds. (Solaria was settled from Nexon.)

Nishaya

Part of the pre-Imperial Kingdom of Trantor, Nishaya is mentioned in "Forward the Foundation". At the end of the Empire it was noted for its goat herding and high-quality cheeses. Laskin Joranum pretended to be from Nishaya during his campaign to overthrow Eto Demerzel. One thing that gave him away was his perfect mastery of the Trantorian dialect; real Nishayans spoke a very different dialect of Galactic Standard.

Ophiuchus

A barbarous world once thought to have developed before hyperspatial travel.

Orsha II

A system in the Normannic Sector of the Galactic Empire, mentioned in "Foundation". The inhabited planet is Orsha II, the second planet of the system. The capital of the Normannic Sector was originally Siwenna (20 parsecs, or 65 light years, away), but after the first Siwennian rebellion, it was moved to Orsha II.

Rhampora

Famous for its oysters.

Rigel

A planet in the Empire Series. In the first millennium of the Galactic Era, its inhabitants developed a robotic culture. Because this made Rigellians so passive, they were easy prey for the warlord Moray.

Rossem

During the days of the Galactic Empire, it was used as a political prison, and housed a small naval garrison and an observator ("Second Foundation", chapter 3). After the fall of the Empire it was conquered by the "Oligarchy of Tazenda", which levied taxes to be paid in foodstuffs, brought to the village of Gentri were the governor lived. During his search for the Second Foundation, the Mule's soldiers, Bail Channis and Han Pritcher, came to Rossem. The Mule, meanwhile, destroyed Tazenda, assuming it was the Second Foundation. He assumed incorrectly, and was defeated by the First Speaker of the Second Foundation.

Rossem was exceptionally cold, and was thus barren with a low population, exclusively in the equatorial regions.

alinn

The first planet to be aware of the Mule's advance on the Foundation.

antanni

Santanni is 9000 parsecs (29,000 light years) from Trantor and 800 parsecs (2600 light years) from Locris.

In 12,058 G.E. the population of Santanni attempted to rebel against the Galactic Empire. Raych Seldon, son of psychohistorian Hari Seldon, was killed in the rebellion, valiantly defending the University of Santanni.

After the founding of the Foundation, Santanni traded with it until the trade route was cut off by the rebellion of Anacreon. One known thing of Santanni make was the cigar box possessed by Jord Fara, and later by Salvor Hardin.

It was captured in the early stages of the war with Kalgan. After the death of the Mule, Santanni was instrumental in breaking the siege on Terminus levied by the Mule's successor, Han Pritcher in 308 F.E.

arip

A planet near Anacreon

ark

In The Currents of Space, Sark rules over Florina and controls the galactic trade of the cloth kyrt.

irius

The Sirius system was a capital of the Sirius Sector, and one of the planets advanced by some late Galactic Era archaeologists as the planet of origin for the human species. Between 800-900 G.E., a planet in the Sirius system was one of the ten most populated planets in the Galaxy.

mitheus

One of the fifty Spacer worlds.

mushyk

A planet mentioned in "Second Foundation", located in the Galactic Periphery.

myrno

Located in the Anacreon Province, it was one of four prefects in the Anacreon Province that rebelled against the Galactic Empire c.50 F.E. The planet itself is located 50 parsecs (163 light years) from Terminus. It's name is a parallel with Smyrna, a remote but important city of the Roman Empire. It is hot and dry, the rooms smell of sulphur, and people live underground. Its most famous citizen is Hober Mallow, one of the major characters from the Foundation Series.

ynnax

The birthplace of Gaal Dornick, it was in a stellar system orbiting a region called the 'Blue Drift'.

Tazenda

Tazenda is an oligarchy of 27 planets which stayed out of interstellar politics. It was considered by The Mule to be the home of the Second Foundation because of its location 120 radial degrees from Terminus, its location in a constellation visible from Trantor (giving it the name "Star's End"), and its name sounding similar to "Star's End." It was attacked and destroyed by the Mule in 315 F.E. It was not, in fact, the location of the Second Foundation.

Terel

One of the Association of Independent Trading Worlds. Had a minor victory against the Mule.

Vega

It was capital of the Vega Province in the Galactic Empire, one of the wealthiest provinces in the entire Galaxy. Until the revolt of the Anacreon Prefect, it traded with Terminus, capital of the Foundation. One of the known quantities it exported was tobacco, of notably high quality.

Vincetori

Mentioned in "Second Foundation". It lay on the standard trade route between Kalgan and Tazenda.

Voreg

A planet in the Anacreon Prefect, close to the capital system Anacreon.

Wanda

The temporary headquarters for the navy of Bel Riose, General of the Galactic Empire, during the war between the Empire and the Foundation. Ducem Barr and Lathan Devers were kept in a prison on Wanda during this war, and Devers' ship was impounded there also.

Wencory

Home planet of Las Zenow (12008-?????), chief librarian of the Library of Trantor. Zenow returned to Wencory when he retired. (Mentioned in "Forward the Foundation").

Zoranel

The planet to which 50 members of the Second Foundation (including Pelleas Anthor) were banished at the end of "Second Foundation", in 378 F.E.