A desert planet is a single-biome planet on which the climate is mostly desert, with little or no natural precipitation. Desert planets are known to exist; Mars is often considered a prime example. Indeed, many terrestrial planets would be considered desert planets by this definition. However, the term is often used to refer to desert planets that remain hospitable for life.
A relatively common motif in science fiction, the concept includes both real and fictional planets, and is sometimes accompanied by elements of hydraulic despotism. Perhaps the most famous fictional examples are Arrakis, the setting for much of the Dune series of novels by Frank Herbert, and Tatooine of the Star Wars universe.
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A recent study has suggested that not only are life-sustaining desert planets possible, but that they might be more common than Earth-like planets. [1] The reason for this prediction is that, when modeled, desert planets had a much larger habitable zone than watery planets.
The same study also speculates that Venus may have once been a habitable desert planet a long time ago. It is also believed by many that the same may have been true for Mars, and that life on Mars may exist even in the modern era. (This has yet to be determined)
Despite how they are commonly portrayed, a habitable desert planet would probably not have a completely uniform climate. It would likely have some amount of surface water near its poles, and would be substantially more hospitable at certain latitudes; temperate regions might be possible.
Before, and certainly after, the results sent back by the Viking landers, some science fiction set on Mars portrayed it as a desert planet. Science fiction stories that do so include:
Other desert planets have been used as story motifs in fictional works:
Planet | Source | Year | Medium | Details | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abydos | Stargate (and later in the TV series Stargate SG-1 | 1994 | Film | ||
Altair IV | Forbidden Planet | 1956 | Film | [2] | |
Anarres | The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin | 1974 | Novel | Not strictly a desert planet; has oceans and is predominantly steppe | |
Arrakis (aka Dune) | Dune by Frank Herbert, and subsequent works in the Dune universe | 1965 | Novel | Homeworld of the Fremen and source of the valuable spice melange | [3] |
Athas | Dark Sun setting for Dungeons & Dragons | 1991 | Role-playing game | ||
Bara Magna | Bionicle | 2009 | Toy line | Large utopian planet struck by a cataclysm 100,000 years previous | |
Beachworld | "Beachworld" by Stephen King | 1985 | Short story | ||
Byss | Star Wars: Dark Empire | 1991–1992 | Comic book | ||
Canopus III | Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "The Eye of the Beholder" | 1974 | Animated TV series | ||
Cardassia IV | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Homecoming" | 1993 | TV series | ||
Ceti Alpha V | Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Space Seed" | 1967 | TV series | Devastated by destruction of nearby Ceti Alpha VI | |
Dorvan V | Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Journey's End" | 1994 | TV series | ||
Dozaria | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Indiscretion" | 1995 | TV series | ||
Fire | Lexx season 3 | 1999 | TV series | An afterlife planet for the souls of deceased people, who made unvirtuos choices when they were alive. The inhabitants build their cities high above the ground to avoid the deadly heat eminating from the planet's core. | |
Fyrine IV | Enemy Mine | 1985 | Film | ||
Gamma X | Les Maîtres du temps | 1982 | Animated film | ||
Geonosis | Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones | 2002 | Film | ||
Gunsmoke | Trigun | Manga series | |||
Imecka | Dragonball GT | 1996 | Anime | ||
Kerona | Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter | 1986 | Computer game | ||
Kharak | Homeworld | 1999 | Real-time strategy video game | Planet bombed by the Taiidan Empire | |
Khoros | Ben 10 | 2005–2008 | Animated TV series | Homeworld of the alien Fourarms | |
Klendathu | Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, and subsequent works | 1959 | Novel | Homeworld of the Arachnids | |
Kolarus III | Star Trek Nemesis | 2002 | Film | ||
Korhal | StarCraft and subsequent games in the StarCraft franchise | 1998 | Real-time strategy video game | Once-lush throne world of the Terran Dominion | |
Korriban | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic | 2003 | Computer game | ||
M6-117 | Pitch Black | 2000 | Film | Gas giant's moon | |
Marak's World | Hammerfall (and later 2004's Forge of Heaven) by C. J. Cherryh | 2001 | Novel | ||
Ocampa | Star Trek: Voyager | 1994–1997 | TV series | Devastated homeworld of Kes and the Ocampa | |
Osiris IV | Futurama episode "A Pharaoh to Remember" | 2002 | Animated TV series | ||
Perdide | Les Maîtres du temps | 1982 | Animated film | ||
Plyuk | Kin-dza-dza! | 1986 | Film | ||
Resurgam | Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds | 2000 | Novel | ||
Salt | Salt by Adam Roberts | 2000 | Novel | ||
Socorro | Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game adventure The Black Sands of Socorro | 1997 | Role-playing game | ||
Starbuck | Galactica 1980 episode "The Return of Starbuck" | 1980 | TV series | ||
Tallarn and other planets | Warhammer 40,000 universe | Miniature wargame | |||
Tatooine | Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope | 1977 | Film | ||
Titania | Star Fox 64 for Nintendo 64 | 1997 | Video game | ||
Tophet | Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles | 1999 | Animated TV series | ||
Torga IV | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Ship" | 1996 | TV series | ||
Toroth | Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Desert Crossing" | 2002 | TV series | ||
Trisol | Futurama episode "My Three Suns" | 1999 | Animated TV series | ||
Tyree | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes "Image in the Sand" and "Shadows and Symbols" | 1998 | TV series | ||
Unnamed planet | Snare by Katherine Kerr | 2003 | Novel | ||
Unnamed planet | Star Trek episode "Arena" | 1967 | TV series | ||
Vega | Spaceballs | 1987 | Film | Home planet to Schwartz-master Yogurt | |
Vulcan | Star Trek: The Original Series, and subsequent works in the Star Trek universe | 1966 | TV series |
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