Glyphs are symbols on Stargates which chevrons lock onto when a Stargate is being dialled. The basis for glyphs on the Pegasus and Milky Way gates are constellations. Constellations are the names given to a group of stars linked close together. Oftentimes, constellations represent some sort of pictograph. There are several differences between Milky Way, Pegasus, and Destiny-style glyphs. The symbols on the Dial Home Device represent constellations, destinations used to link Stargates together are represented by constellations to form Addresses. (Stargate) (SG1: "Children of the Gods")
Milky Way
A Milky Way Stargate has 39 inscribed symbols on the inner ring. When dialling, this inner ring rotates until the dialled symbol is aligned with the seventh chevron, at which point the ring pauses, the seventh chevron moves down and up, and the appropriate chevron in the sequence engages and glows red.
With 38 symbols, the Stargate network in the Milky Way has
- 38×37×36×35×34×33 = 1,987,690,320 possible addresses.
8-symbol addresses will yield
- 38×37×36×35×34×33×32 = 63,606,090,240 possible addresses.
For a seven chevron address, each symbol must be unique as it is referencing a point in space; however, for an eight chevron address it is possible that the Stargate (by recognising the entry of eight chevrons) allows the reuse of a glyph within an address - perhaps each having a different meaning, such as galaxy 'area codes' - which increases the possible number of addresses:
- 38×37×36×35×34×33×38 = 75,532,232,160 possible addresses.
However, not all points in space represented by these addresses have Stargates; in deed, there are sufficiently few valid coordinate sets that randomly dialling the Stargate is largely futile. (SG1: "Children of the Gods")
Because the gate on Earth was found without a DHD, the Stargate team on Earth developed a dialing computer to interface with the gate in order to power it and dial it by the use of computers (essentially an automated version of manual dialling). When using a DHD, however, each chevron is activated immediately upon entry of the symbols, without the inner ring spinning. This allows for a much swifter dialling process. (SG1: "Stargate", "Children of the Gods")
Milky Way glyphs
Position | Glyph | Constellation | Position | Glyph | Constellation | Position | Glyph | Constellation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Point of origin (Giza)[1] | 14 | Microscopium | 27 | Taurus | |||
2 | Crater | 15 | Capricornus | 28 | Auriga | |||
3 | Virgo | 16 | Piscis Austrinus | 29 | Eridanus | |||
4 | Boötes | 17 | Equuleus | 30 | Orion | |||
5 | Centaurus | 18 | Aquarius | 31 | Canis Minor | |||
6 | Libra | 19 | Pegasus | 32 | Monoceros | |||
7 | Serpens Caput | 20 | Sculptor | 33 | Gemini | |||
8 | Norma | 21 | Pisces | 34 | Hydra | |||
9 | Scorpius | 22 | Andromeda | 35 | Lynx | |||
10 | Corona Australis | 23 | Triangulum | 36 | Cancer | |||
11 | Scutum | 24 | Aries | 37 | Sextans | |||
12 | Sagittarius | 25 | Perseus | 38 | Leo Minor | |||
13 | Aquila | 26 | Cetus | 39 | Leo |
Pegasus
As found out by the Atlantis expedition, the Ancients seeded planets throughout the Pegasus galaxy with Stargates too, but used gates of a slightly different, more advanced design, although the differences appear mostly cosmetic. Pegasus Stargates are designed with blue chevron lamps instead of orange, and the address symbols are groups of small blue lamps (rather than embossed figures) that light up sequentially instead of rotating. This also makes a manual dial impossible as manually dialling a Stargate requires the dialing ring to be rotated. When Atlantis moved from Lantea, the gate appeared to have changed glyphs dynamically, based on its current location, instead of having fixed symbols like the Milky Way galaxy has. This makes it possible for the gate to be used with ease in other galaxies as well.
Unlike the Milky Way gates, Pegasus gates are depicted with 36 symbols. 7 symbols are still required to dial an interplanetary address, cliving to the same constraints as a Milky Way gate. With 36 symbols, the Stargate Network in the Pegasus galaxy has
- 35×34×33×32×31×30 = 1,168,675,200 possible addresses.
8-symbol addresses will yield
- 35×34×33×32×31×30×29 = 33,891,580,800 possible addresses.
Pegasus glyphs[2]
Position | Glyph | Constellation | Position | Glyph | Constellation | Position | Glyph | Constellation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Acjesis | 14 | Unknown[3] | 27 | Baselai[3] | |||
2 | Lenchan | 15 | Robandus | 28 | Sandovi | |||
3 | Alura | 16 | Recktic | 29 | Illume | |||
4 | Ca Po | 17 | Zamilloz | 30 | Amiwill | |||
5 | Laylox | 18 | Subido (point of origin for Atlantis)[1] | 31 | Sibbron | |||
6 | Ecrumig | 19 | Dawnre | 32 | Gilltin | |||
7 | Avoniv | 20 | Salma | 33 | Unknown[3] | |||
8 | Bydo | 21 | Hamlinto | 34 | Ramnon | |||
9 | Aaxel | 22 | Elenami | 35 | Olavii | |||
10 | Aldeni | 23 | Tahnan | 36 | Hacemill | |||
11 | Setas | 24 | Zeo | 37[3] | Poco Re | |||
12 | Arami | 25 | Roehi | 38[3] | Abrin | |||
13 | Danami | 26 | Once El | 39?[3] | Earth[3] |
Destiny
Destiny's Stargate bears 36 symbols like Pegasus Stargates and the whole Gate spins to dial an address. When dialling, the symbols light up to indicate they have been encoded. Destiny also contains a Gate bearing which lights up as each glyph locks; however planetary Gates do not share this trait.
The glyphs are not of constellations as with Milky Way and Pegasus Gates since the gate must be able to dial addresses from a moving point of origin in many different galaxies, but rather are some mathematical or conceptual representation yet to be discovered by the people aboard. The Stargates seeded throughout the galaxies Destiny has visited also use this type of address. It may also be possible that each 2nd and 3rd generation Stargate built by the Ancients were programmed to have 9-glyph addresses, in order to be compatible with 1st generation gates. It may also be possible that every gate has its own unique 9-glyph address. It is unknown whether using a 9-glyph address requires the last glyph to be a point of origin, as Destiny is constantly moving as has no point of origin, meanwhile Icarus dialed destiny using the point of origin as the last glyph.
Destiny glyphs
Position | Glyph | Position | Glyph | Position | Glyph | Position | Glyph | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10 | File:Universe Glyph 10.svg | 19 | 28 | |||||
2 | 11 | 20 | 29 | ||||||
3 | 12 | 21 | 30 | ||||||
4 | 13 | 22 | 31 | ||||||
5 | 14 | 23 | 32 | ||||||
6 | 15 | 24 | 33 | ||||||
7 | 16 | 25 | 34 | ||||||
8 | 17 | 26 | 35 | ||||||
9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | [[Image:UniverseGlyph36.svg|24px]|}
Notes
Behind the ScenesThe appearance of constellations change even within the period of a few thousand years due to stellar drift. Thus, the constellations visible from Earth 50 million years ago (when the Ancients first established the Stargate network in the Milky Way) must have looked different than they do now. See also
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