Alderaan

Alderaan is a terrestrial planet in the fictional universe of Star Wars. It is the home of the characters Princess Leia, Bail Organa, Tycho Celchu and also, in 4000 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), Ulic Qel Droma who fought in the Great Sith War. It was destroyed by the Death Star's superlaser in 0 BBY.

Description

There are three descriptions or depictions of Alderaan:

Culture

The Alderanian people highly valued education, arts, architecture, poetry, the performing arts, and diplomacy. They placed high value in their participation in the Galactic (later Imperial) Senate. It was a largely democratic society, and took the form of a hereditary constitutional monarchy that was ruled by a monarch from the historic Royal House of Antilles and later, due to marriage, the House of Organa. It had a minister presiding over the High Court and legislative High Council of Alderaan, and in various descriptions of this figure, styled First Chairman and Viceroy, he appeared to function as a generally benevolent leader. Its monarchs have variously borne the title of King or Queen of Alderaan. The ruler of Alderaan from the end of Revenge of the Sith to A New Hope was Queen Breha Antilles-Organa. Queen Breha was married to Bail Organa, who served a term as Senator during the events depicted in Revenge of the Sith, later serving as both prince consort and first chairman of Alderaan. Traditionally, the heir of the Alderanian throne also served as a lawmaker, first locally in the High Council, then on Coruscant as an interplanetary Senator for Alderaan. Queen Breha and Bail's heir and (secretly adopted) daughter was Princess Leia, who was serving as Senator for Alderaan in the Imperial Senate during the events depicted in A New Hope.

Alderaan (astronomy)

Alderaan and similar spellings (e.g. "Alderahan") is a disused name for the two pairs of stars α and β Canis Minoris (Procyon and Gomeisa) and α and β Geminorum (Castor and Pollux). The name was taken from Arabic al-dhirā`ain الذراعين (= "the two forearms" or "the two front paws" or "the two cubit measuring rods"). The term originally referred to the "measuring rods'" meaning, but an astronomer whose native language was not Arabic supposed that it meant "the two forepaws" literally and invented an enlarged rampant Lion asterism centered on Leo and stretching over a quarter of the sky with its forepaws at these two pairs of stars.

References