| This article is about the planet. For the Stargate Universe episode, see Earth (episode). |
- "It's beautiful."
"Yes, it is." - ―Samantha Carter and Jack O'Neill
Earth (Terra in Ancient, Midgard to the humans settled by the Asgard, Tau'ri in Goa'uld, and designated P2X-3YZ by the Tau'ri), is the home planet of the Tau'ri and the cradle of human civilization in the Milky Way. With a population of over 7 billion, Earth was one of the most populated known human worlds in both the Pegasus and Milky way galaxies. This is due to a long period of isolation from any alien contact, as well as their success in thwarting various alien attacks thanks to the staff and personnel of Stargate Command who have also successfully stopped any attacks by various enemies including the Goa'uld, Replicators, Wraith, Ori and Lucian Alliance. (Stargate: Continuum, SGA: "Rising")
Technical Information
Earth is located in the Sol System, the third planet from the systems G-type main sequence star. The planet is approximately 4.5 billion years old, having formed roughly 60 million years after the formation of the solar system itself. At approximately 93 million miles from the star, Earth occupies the "Goldilocks Zone" which permits the conditions necessary to create and sustain life.
With an Equatorial Radius of 6,378.1km, a Polar Radius of 6,356.8km, and a Mass of 5.9722 x 1024kg, approximately 1.3 million planets the size of Earth could fit within the system's star.[2]
Earth rotates on it's axis over a 24-hour period in a state of axial tilt of approximately 23°. This tilt reverses and resumes throughout the course of one Earth year, or one revolution around the star. As such, this axial tilt is responsible for the four seasons experiences in most of Earth's climates, though they may be inverted depending on the landmass' position in relation to the poles.
Seventy-one percent of Earth's surface is made up of water, 97.5% of which comprises the salt water of Earth's oceans, the remaining 2.5% is freshwater but only 0.3% is in liquid form on the surface - much of it is maintained in the polar ice caps.
Earth is comprised of a lithosphere which is divided into multiple tectonic plates. Having originated as Ur, a combined landmass forming a supercontinent approximately 3 billion years ago, the supercontinent went through a series of shifts and redevelopments until it ultimately broke up after the Pangaea era approximately 100 million years ago. In the time since, continental drift contributed to the eventual formation of the continents seen on Earth today.
Luna
Earth has one natural satellite, colloquially referred to as "the Moon" but often officially referred to as "Luna", which is roughly 3,474.8km in diameter with a mass of 7.349 x 1022kg and an orbital period of 27 days, 7 hours and 43.7 minutes. As such, the moon has a direct tidal impact on Earth's oceans.
History
Earth was the second planet that the Ancients colonized after they left their home galaxy (the first planet being Dakara). Known to them as Terra, it was the center of their empire in the Milky Way and was from where they launched Destiny, a ship designed to explore the universe. Earth was also home to the city of Atlantis situated in Antarctica which was then much closer to the equator. Between thirty and ten million years ago, the Ancients were forced to leave in Atlantis for Pegasus due to a plague, that was very similar to the Prior plague that was used by the Ori during the crusade. They eventually returned after the war with the Wraith where some chose to join the native humans and integrate into human society, passing on the Ancient Technology Activation gene. They also influenced societies such as the Greeks and Romans, inspiring the myth of Atlantis and passing on their language. (SG1: "Lost City, Part 2", "Avalon, Part 2", SGA: "Rising")
Earth At The Time Of The Ancients Departure
When the Ancients came back to Earth c. 8,000 BC, they found the humans in a primitive state of society and knowledge, and under control of the Goa'uld known as Ra. The Ancients then, seeing that there was no hope of rebuilding their societies, spread out to many lands (integrating into the primitive societies, ascending, making their way to the Stargate in the Southern Pole or dying, leaving the remaining humans in a primitive and defenseless state). Ra remained, controlling Earth until circa 3,000 BC, when an alternate SG-1 traveled back in time and helped the ancient humans to start the rebellion. After that, Ra abandoned the Earth. (SG1: "Children of the Gods", "Moebius, Part 1", "Moebius, Part 2", "The Pegasus Project")
Prometheus in orbit of Earth.
Thanks to the rediscovery of the Stargate, the Tau'ri have come to find out that Humans live on other planets in addition to Earth, each with their own unique cultures. As the Stargate Program progressed, the term Tau'ri eventually came to be used to specifically identify humans from Earth. Earth has one of the largest human populations of any planet in the known galaxies, possibly the largest. Major General Henry Landry believed Earth to be the most densely populated planet in the Milky Way Galaxy.
In 2004, Earth became the focus of the System Lord Anubis. In what became known as the Battle of Antarctica, Anubis came with his mothership and a massive fleet of Ha'taks, which were destroyed by Drone weapons launched by SG-1 from the Ancient outpost in Antarctica, Anubis was left without a physical form in orbit. (SG1: "Lost City, Part 2")
In 2009, Earth came under attack from the Super-hive. After waiting behind the Moon for its systems to mature, the ship moved into Earth's orbit and sent out a wave of Wraith Darts that was able to destroy the Control chair, one of Earth's greatest defenses, during the Battle of the Super-hive. All other Earth attempts to defend against the upgraded Hive Ship also failed. However, Atlantis utilized its Wormhole drive and was able to confront the Hive Ship, and through the work of Lt. Colonel John Sheppard's team was able to detonate a Nuclear warhead on board the ship. After the battle, Atlantis remained on Earth in San Francisco Bay. (SGA: "Enemy at the Gate")
Earth long distance.
In 2010, Earth was again the target of an attack by the Lucian Alliance. The Alliance personnel kept aboard the Ancient vessel Destiny complied with Homeworld Command and divulged as much information as they could regarding the attack, however it proved to be insufficient. The Alliance outfitted a Goa'uld Tel'tak with a naquadriah-enhanced bomb and flew it cloaked into The Pentagon as a surgical strike against the Tau'ri. The effort was ultimately thwarted by MSgt. Ronald Greer and Camile Wray with the help of Dr. Andrew Covel and Senator Michaels and Varro. (SGU: "Alliances")
Military
The combined Earth military is divided between roughly 190 independent governments, most of which are not privy to the knowledge of life beyond the stars. Only five countries possess interstellar military capability. Thanks to its long period of isolation, Earth has managed to develop beyond the pre-enlightenment period most societies are forced into by either the Wraith or Goa'uld. Earth is still primitive in comparison to some alien cultures but possesses technology arguably more advanced than any other in existence, particularly militarily. Tau'ri military technology relies on metallic projectile weapons, chemical explosives, and short to intercontinental ballistic and nuclear missiles. The more powerful Tau'ri nations possess Nuclear warheads.
The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have access to an array of extraterrestrial technology and weapons. These nations have reverse-engineered various starship and weapons designs, particularly those of the Asgard and the Ancients. The United States of America in particular has risen in little more than a decade from a planetary-based power to an intergalactic power, with several capital ships and offworld bases.
Continents
- Main article: Locations on Earth
Alternate realities
Europe devastated by the Goa'uld invasion.
- In an alternate reality visited by Daniel Jackson in 1998, Earth was attacked by Apophis and most major cities were destroyed. Efforts to combat the invasion were headed in Cheyenne Mountain by the SGA. Dr. Samantha Carter stated that Washington D.C. and Philadelphia had been lost. Cities that, based on the SGA's map, were almost certainly destroyed include the following: Cairo, Berlin, Rome, Helsinki, London, Moscow, New York City, Paris and Dublin. Colorado Springs was presumably destroyed during the attack on Cheyenne Mountain. The Goa'uld attack started in Europe, Asia and Africa before spreading to the United States of America. Since the destruction started on the East Coast and moved west and Dr. Daniel Jackson left the reality when it reached Colorado, the annihilation of the West Coast was unseen. (SG1: "There But for the Grace of God")
- In another alternate reality, Earth was attacked by Apophis and the SGA was invaded in 1999. The planet was saved when Doctor Samantha Carter successfully contacted the Asgard. (SG1: "Point of View")
- In another alternate reality, Earth was vulnerable to an Ori attack as its only Zero Point Module had been depleted. In 2006, the SG-1 of this reality came to our reality in an attempt to steal a ZPM from Atlantis and return it to their reality to use in securing their Earth from an attack. When the original SG-1 took steps to stop additional SG-1s from arriving, the alternate SG-1 gained control of the Prometheus and set course for Atlantis. Eventually, the original Cameron Mitchell outsmarted his counterpart and his team was captured. The original SG-1 was able to use the alternate SG-1's methods to send the various SG-1s back to their own realities. (SG1: "Ripple Effect")
- In another alternate reality, Earth was attacked by the Prior virus in late 2005, at approximately the same time that the Earth of our reality suffered the same attack. However, the outbreak lasted longer than in our reality. SG-1 - which consisted of Daniel Jackson, Cameron Mitchell, Janet Fraiser and Martouf/Lantash - began searching the galaxy for a cure, as did the other SG teams. In the process of their search, this version of SG-1 were accidentally transported to our reality, where they were given the cure by Major General Henry Landry of our reality. In this reality, Stargate Command was still under the command of Brigadier General Jack O'Neill. (SG1: "Ripple Effect")
- In another alternate reality visited by Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter in 2007, Earth was attacked by Anubis' fleet in 2004, as occurred in our reality. Although they found the Control chair from the Antarctic outpost, they could not power it sufficiently to use it against Anubis' fleet and the attack continued. This forced Stargate Command to reveal the existence of Stargate Program to the general public, creating mass panic and leading to martial law being declared in the United States of America as a result. The SGC of this reality never discovered Atlantis but they did make an enemy of the Ori, which led to the planet coming under attack in 2007. However, it was saved by the Samantha Carter of our reality. This was achieved by using the United States' power grid, the Ancient Control chair from the Antarctic outpost and Arthur's Mantle to take the planet out of phase. (SG1: "The Road Not Taken")
- In another alternate reality, Earth came under attack by a Hive Ship in 2009 but it was destroyed by the Antarctic outpost. A single Wraith survived and was later killed, but not before sending a message that was picked up by the Super-hive in our universe, telling it the location of Earth and about the weapons chair. (SGA: "Vegas")
Alternate timelines
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Earth under siege from Ba'al.
- In an alternate timeline accidentally created by SG-1, Apophis sent a fleet of Ha'taks to attack Earth in 2005 after a team from the Tau'ri travelled to Chulak and were captured by his Jaffa. He learned that the Tau'ri were a potential threat after implanting Daniel Jackson with a Goa'uld symbiote. (SG1: "Moebius, Part 2")
- In another alternate timeline created by Ba'al in 1939, Earth was attacked by a Goa'uld fleet in 2009. (Stargate: Continuum)
Behind the scenes
While never given a planetary designation during any of the on-screen material, in the Secret Files of the SGC bonus features on the Stargate SG-1 DVDs (in which the viewer is said to be watching top secret SGC files), Earth is identified as P2X-3YZ.
References
External links
- Earth in Kathleen Ritter's Lexicon.
- GateWorld's article on Earth in The Stargate Omnipedia
- The Earth article in the Stargate Worlds wiki (backup link).
- Template:SGRwiki
- Earth on Wikipedia