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Concept
Planet symbols
Summary
A planet symbol or planetary symbol is a graphical symbol used in astrology and astronomy to represent a classical planet (including the Sun and the Moon) or one of the modern planets. The symbols were also used in alchemy to represent the metals associated with the planets, and in calendars for their associated days. The use of these symbols derives from Classical Greco-Roman astronomy, though their current shapes are a development of the 16th century.
The classical planets, their symbols, days and most commonly associated planetary metals are:
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) discourages the use of these symbols in modern journal articles, and their style manual proposes one- and two-letter abbreviations for the names of the planets for cases where planetary symbols might be used, such as in the headings of tables.
The modern planets with their traditional symbols and IAU abbreviations are:
The symbols of Venus and Mars are also used to represent female and male in biology following a convention introduced by Carl Linnaeus in the 1750s.
Classical planet
Antecedents of the planetary symbols are attested in the attributes given to classical deities. The Roman planisphere of Bianchini (2nd century, currently in the Louvre, inv. Ma 540) shows the seven planets represented by portraits of the seven corresponding gods, each a bust with a halo and an iconic object or dress, as follows: Mercury has a caduceus and a winged cap; Venus has a necklace and a shining mirror; Mars has a war-helmet and a spear; Jupiter has a laurel crown and a staff; Saturn has a conical headdress and a scythe; the Sun has rays emanating from his head; and the Moon has a crescent atop her head.
Bianchini planisphere - Luna.png|Luna with a crescent
Bianchini planisphere - Mercury.png|Mercury with a caduceus
Bianchini planisphere - Venus.png|Venus with a shining mirror
Bianchini planisphere - Sol.png|Sol emanating rays
Bianchini planisphere - Mars.png|Mars with a spear
Bianchini planisphere - Jupiter.png|Jupiter with a staff
Bianchini planisphere - Saturn.
Official source
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