<p>As Anders Sandberg wrote, the Sun, Earth, and Jupiter symbols are used for putting things in context, for example M<sub>☉</sub> for solar masses or M<sub>⊕</sub> for Earth masses. However, the astronomical community has stopped using the other symbols early in the twentieth century. Astrologers still use them, but not astronomers.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-21T17:15:45.697Z
2020-11-21T17:15:45.697Z
Pierre Paquette
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> this is a follow-up question based on answers I've received in <em>TeX SE</em> on <a href="https://tex.stackexchange.com/q/570698/114006">Packages for standard solar system (astronomical) symbols</a> on the off-chance that some here may have actual hands-on experience with both <em>TeX</em> and these <em>astronomical symbols.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p>Recently, I have been looking for specific <em>LaTeX</em> packages for generating the following symbols of the solar system.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/YHe0m.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/YHe0m.jpg" alt="symbols" /></a>
Photo source: <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/680/solar-system-symbols/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/680/solar-system-symbols/</a></p>
<p>I have tried using the packages <code>mathabx</code> and <code>wasysym</code>. But I have found that they both have some issues and I need to use both of them to generate the above symbols. I have discussed it on <em><a href="https://tex.stackexchange.com/q/570698/114006">TeX SE</a></em> here and got this solution:</p>
<pre><code>\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article} 

\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb} 

% wasysym redefinitions
\newcommand*{\wasyfamily}{\fontencoding{U}\fontfamily{wasy}\selectfont}
\newcommand*{\astrosun}{{\odot}}
\newcommand*{\mercury}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char39}}}
\newcommand*{\venus}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char25}}}
\newcommand*{\earth}{{\oplus}}
\newcommand*{\mars}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char26}}}
\newcommand*{\jupiter}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char88}}}
\newcommand*{\saturn}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char89}}}
\newcommand*{\uranus}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char90}}}
\newcommand*{\neptune}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char91}}}
\newcommand*{\pluto}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char92}}}

% mathabx definitions
\newcommand*{\mathabxbfamily}{\fontencoding{U}\fontfamily{mathb}\selectfont}
\DeclareFontFamily{U}{mathb}{\hyphenchar\font45}
\DeclareFontShape{U}{mathb}{m}{n}{
      &lt;5&gt; &lt;6&gt; &lt;7&gt; &lt;8&gt; &lt;9&gt; &lt;10&gt; gen * mathb
      &lt;10.95&gt; mathb10 &lt;12&gt; &lt;14.4&gt; &lt;17.28&gt; &lt;20.74&gt; &lt;24.88&gt; mathb12
      }{}
\newcommand*{\Sun}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char&quot;40}}}
\newcommand*{\Mercury}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char&quot;41}}}
\newcommand*{\Venus}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char&quot;42}}}
\newcommand*{\Earth}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char&quot;43}}}
\newcommand*{\Mars}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char&quot;44}}}
\newcommand*{\Jupiter}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char&quot;45}}}
\newcommand*{\Saturn}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char&quot;46}}}
\newcommand*{\Uranus}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char&quot;47}}}
\newcommand*{\Neptune}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char&quot;48}}}
\newcommand*{\Pluto}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char&quot;49}}}

\newcommand*{\astrosymbolsA}{\Sun\Mercury\Venus\Earth\Mars\Jupiter\Saturn\Uranus\Neptune\Pluto}

\newcommand*{\astrosymbolsB}{\astrosun\mercury\venus\earth\mars\jupiter\saturn\uranus\neptune\pluto}

\newcommand*{\astrosymbolsC}{\Sun\Mercury\Venus\Earth\Mars\jupiter\saturn\Uranus\Neptune\pluto}

\begin{document}
\begin{align*}
   \text{mathabx: } \astrosymbolsA \\ 
   \text{wasysym: } \astrosymbolsB
\end{align*}
Taking \jupiter, \saturn, \pluto  \, from `wasysym' and others from `mathabx': 
\begin{align*}
        \Sun\Mercury\Venus\Earth\Mars\jupiter\saturn\Uranus\Neptune\pluto
\end{align*}

\end{document}
</code></pre>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Rj285.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Rj285.png" alt="mathabx &amp; wasysym" /></a>
Still, they don't exactly match the symbols of the first photo.</p>
<p>I guess the <em>MWE</em> of <em>LaTeX</em> codes is related to <em>TeX SE</em>. But I have not found any better way to cross-advertise questions of interest in multiple topics. That's why I share the codes here too.</p>
<p>Here in <em>Astronomy SE</em>, I want to know how these symbols are used in the astronomy communities/academia.</p>
<ul>
<li>How is the frequency of using them in the technical/research publication?</li>
<li>How do publishers handle them when submitting articles?</li>
<li>Do they use any other dedicated/updated <em>LaTeX</em> packages available for generating these symbols?</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-17T12:55:21.443Z
Hi raf, this seems like a Latex-related, rather than an astronomy-related, question, meaning that it might be closed. If you're just asking about the use of the symbols in the literature, I'd suggest removing all the Latex stuff. That said, different journals render symbols slightly differently (and symbols other than $\odot$ and $\oplus$ are rarely used; for planets measured in Jupiter masses for instance, it's more common to use $M_\mathrm{Jup}$ or $M_\mathrm{J}$ I think).
pela
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-17T12:58:37.260Z
@pela the OP links to their previously asked question in TeX SE and we can see there the help they were able to receive there. I'd recommended that as a *follow-up* they ask a *different but related* question here just in case someone has more expertise in this particular astronomical character set.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-17T12:59:50.387Z
@uhoh Ah sorry, I missed that link.
pela
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-17T13:02:16.800Z
@pela I see what you mean, it's hidden about half of the way down. I've just updated and added a "preamble" :-)
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-17T16:53:22.560Z
It might be a bit opinion-based question. For what it is worth, being a non-astronomer working on a manuscript with a fair bit of astrophysics, I found it useful to employ the Sun, Earth and Jupiter symbols as indices since so many things are easily expressed on these scales, but I think I would not use more of them. In the end, symbols are intended to communicate things, not obscure things. I use wasysym.
Anders Sandberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-18T02:53:54.547Z
As an aside, I love it how all of the symbols have this long astrological history.  Then there's Uranus and Neptune, which had to be invented after they were discovered.  Then there's Pluto, where it looks like they went "aww hell, we probably should make a symbol for it.  Let's combine a P and an L and call it a day!"
Cort Ammon
<symbols>
Usage of the standard solar system (astronomical) symbols
raf
# Usage of the standard solar system (astronomical) symbols

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-17)

> **Note:** this is a follow-up question based on answers I've received in *TeX SE* on [Packages for standard solar system (astronomical) symbols](https://tex.stackexchange.com/q/570698/114006) on the off-chance that some here may have actual hands-on experience with both *TeX* and these *astronomical symbols.*

---

Recently, I have been looking for specific *LaTeX* packages for generating the following symbols of the solar system.

[![symbols](https://i.sstatic.net/YHe0m.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/YHe0m.jpg)
Photo source: <https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/680/solar-system-symbols/>

I have tried using the packages `mathabx` and `wasysym`. But I have found that they both have some issues and I need to use both of them to generate the above symbols. I have discussed it on *[TeX SE](https://tex.stackexchange.com/q/570698/114006)* here and got this solution:

```
\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article} 

\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb} 

% wasysym redefinitions
\newcommand*{\wasyfamily}{\fontencoding{U}\fontfamily{wasy}\selectfont}
\newcommand*{\astrosun}{{\odot}}
\newcommand*{\mercury}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char39}}}
\newcommand*{\venus}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char25}}}
\newcommand*{\earth}{{\oplus}}
\newcommand*{\mars}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char26}}}
\newcommand*{\jupiter}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char88}}}
\newcommand*{\saturn}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char89}}}
\newcommand*{\uranus}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char90}}}
\newcommand*{\neptune}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char91}}}
\newcommand*{\pluto}{{\text{\wasyfamily\char92}}}

% mathabx definitions
\newcommand*{\mathabxbfamily}{\fontencoding{U}\fontfamily{mathb}\selectfont}
\DeclareFontFamily{U}{mathb}{\hyphenchar\font45}
\DeclareFontShape{U}{mathb}{m}{n}{
      <5> <6> <7> <8> <9> <10> gen * mathb
      <10.95> mathb10 <12> <14.4> <17.28> <20.74> <24.88> mathb12
      }{}
\newcommand*{\Sun}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char"40}}}
\newcommand*{\Mercury}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char"41}}}
\newcommand*{\Venus}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char"42}}}
\newcommand*{\Earth}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char"43}}}
\newcommand*{\Mars}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char"44}}}
\newcommand*{\Jupiter}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char"45}}}
\newcommand*{\Saturn}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char"46}}}
\newcommand*{\Uranus}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char"47}}}
\newcommand*{\Neptune}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char"48}}}
\newcommand*{\Pluto}{{\text{\mathabxbfamily\char"49}}}

\newcommand*{\astrosymbolsA}{\Sun\Mercury\Venus\Earth\Mars\Jupiter\Saturn\Uranus\Neptune\Pluto}

\newcommand*{\astrosymbolsB}{\astrosun\mercury\venus\earth\mars\jupiter\saturn\uranus\neptune\pluto}

\newcommand*{\astrosymbolsC}{\Sun\Mercury\Venus\Earth\Mars\jupiter\saturn\Uranus\Neptune\pluto}

\begin{document}
\begin{align*}
   \text{mathabx: } \astrosymbolsA \\ 
   \text{wasysym: } \astrosymbolsB
\end{align*}
Taking \jupiter, \saturn, \pluto  \, from `wasysym' and others from `mathabx': 
\begin{align*}
        \Sun\Mercury\Venus\Earth\Mars\jupiter\saturn\Uranus\Neptune\pluto
\end{align*}

\end{document}

```

[![mathabx & wasysym](https://i.sstatic.net/Rj285.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Rj285.png)
Still, they don't exactly match the symbols of the first photo.

I guess the *MWE* of *LaTeX* codes is related to *TeX SE*. But I have not found any better way to cross-advertise questions of interest in multiple topics. That's why I share the codes here too.

Here in *Astronomy SE*, I want to know how these symbols are used in the astronomy communities/academia.

* How is the frequency of using them in the technical/research publication?
* How do publishers handle them when submitting articles?
* Do they use any other dedicated/updated *LaTeX* packages available for generating these symbols?

**Tags:** symbols

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Hi raf, this seems like a Latex-related, rather than an astronomy-related, question, meaning that it might be closed. If you're just asking about the use of the symbols in the literature, I'd suggest removing all the Latex stuff. That said, different journals render symbols slightly differently (and symbols other than $\odot$ and $\oplus$ are rarely used; for planets measured in Jupiter masses for instance, it's more common to use $M_\mathrm{Jup}$ or $M_\mathrm{J}$ I think).  
> **username_2**: @username_1 the OP links to their previously asked question in TeX SE and we can see there the help they were able to receive there. I'd recommended that as a *follow-up* they ask a *different but related* question here just in case someone has more expertise in this particular astronomical character set.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Ah sorry, I missed that link.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 I see what you mean, it's hidden about half of the way down. I've just updated and added a "preamble" :-)  
> **username_3**: It might be a bit opinion-based question. For what it is worth, being a non-astronomer working on a manuscript with a fair bit of astrophysics, I found it useful to employ the Sun, Earth and Jupiter symbols as indices since so many things are easily expressed on these scales, but I think I would not use more of them. In the end, symbols are intended to communicate things, not obscure things. I use wasysym.  
> **username_4**: As an aside, I love it how all of the symbols have this long astrological history.  Then there's Uranus and Neptune, which had to be invented after they were discovered.  Then there's Pluto, where it looks like they went "aww hell, we probably should make a symbol for it.  Let's combine a P and an L and call it a day!"  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-11-21. Score: 3

As username_3 username_3 wrote, the Sun, Earth, and Jupiter symbols are used for putting things in context, for example M☉ for solar masses or M⊕ for Earth masses. However, the astronomical community has stopped using the other symbols early in the twentieth century. Astrologers still use them, but not astronomers.


---

