Forum:Numbering of Planets in a System

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

Hi, I was looking at an article on the Ceti Alpha and Tau Cygna systems and I have a question about the numbering of the planets. Does the number indicate the planet's position from the sun in terms either of accepted astronomy or information gained from the show? Thanks.

– Bcoleridge 15:48, 4 November 2008 (UTC)

Just the show. Even if "accepted astronomy" had any such stars, or any info about any real-life planets around those stars, for one thing that info wouldn't be suitable at Memory Alpha, and for another thing "accepted astronomy" uses letters, starting with b, generally in order of discovery, not orbital distance. 76.247.44.68 16:45, 4 November 2008 (UTC)

The convention in the show is numbering out from the sun (most obvious in "Generations"). I've seen references like this in publicity material for exhibitions and in photo captions (e.g. Earth as "Sol 3", Neptune as "Sol 8" or even Luna as "Sol 3A"), but never in a textbook or a peer-reviewed journal. In either of these, it would be changed before going to print. That is not to say that the system will never catch on, it might become accepted if we ever develop a technology that will allow us to observe all the planets in a distant solar system (currently impossible).--Indefatigable 22:41, 10 July 2009 (UTC)