♆
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Translingual
Alternative forms
- – the symbol commonly has barbs on the tines.
- – orbed variant common in German-language sources alongside ⟨♁⟩ for the Earth and ⟨⛢⟩ for Uranus, so that most of the planetary symbols contain an orb; sometimes with horizontal barbs on the outer tines so that those look like an inverted omega, ⟨℧⟩.
- – another common variant today; this form of Neptune's trident was used by Newton as a symbol for bismuth, before the planet Neptune had been discovered. Typefaces that use this form may harmonize it with Jupiter so that it looks like ⟨⟩ reflected on itself.[1]
- Ψ – Greek capital letter psi is sometimes used as a typographic substitute.
When the symbol has a cross at bottom and the tines do not bear barbs, it may be identical to variants of ⟨🝁⟩, an alchemical symbol for for quicklime.
Etymology
The trident of Neptune, the Ancient Roman god of the sea.[2]
Symbol
♆
Usage notes
As one of several alchemical symbols for bismuth, Neptune's trident is not attested with barbs on the tines, and is unlikely to have ever had a planetary cross or orb at bottom, but a distinct character is not available in Unicode, and it is identical to the design of the planetary symbol in some typefaces.
Derived terms
- (alchemy): 🜾 – bismuth ore
Gallery
- A barbed variant
- German orbed variant
- Variant used by Newton for bismuth
- A decorative crossed variant in the Netherlands
- A decorative orbed variant in the Netherlands
- An abstract variant
- Symbol on a sea-green background
- Transit of Neptune
- A graphic substitute, Ψ
- Neptune's trident in the emblem of a naval outfit
Related terms
Planetary symbols |
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References
- E.g. here
- “Solar System Symbols”, in Solar System Exploration, NASA and the Planetary Institute, 2018 January 30, retrieved November 3, 2019: “The symbol for Neptune is the trident (long three-pronged fork or weapon) of Neptune, god of the sea.”
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