Abstract
Although classification has been an important aspect of astronomy since stellar spectroscopy in the late nineteenth century, to date no comprehensive classification system has existed for all classes of objects in the universe. Here we present such a system, and lay out its foundational definitions and principles. The system consists of the Three Kingdoms of planets, stars and galaxies, 18 Families, and 82 Classes of objects. Gravitation is the defining organizing principle for the Families and Classes, and the physical nature of the objects is the defining characteristic of the Classes. The system should prove useful for both scientific and pedagogical purposes.
First published as “Astronomy’s Three Kingdom System” (International Society for Knowledge Organization, Encyclopedia of Knowledge Organization, 2019)
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Notes
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Taxonomy has also evolved, see Mayr (1982, 145), for stages in classification, and microtaxonomy vs. macrotaxonomy.
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Dick, S.J. (2020). Astronomy’s Three Kingdoms: A Comprehensive Classification System of Celestial Objects. In: Space, Time, and Aliens. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41614-0_31
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