# BSG question: Names of the Twelve Colonies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994 "2005-04-06T04:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994/1 "2005-04-06T04:21:58Z")
I know the Twelve Colonies in _Battlestar Galactica_ (old series and new) are based (for no adequately explained reason) on the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac (which, presumably, would not be the same viewed from any of the Colony worlds, if they’re in a different part of the galaxy), but I can’t seem to find a definitive list of the names-as-modified-for-the-show. I know there’s Caprica, Saggitarion and Virgon, but what are the rest? Also, there’s other place names – in the latest ep, Galactica Boomer tells the other Boomers she encounters on the Cylon basestar, “I’m not a Cylon! I was born on Troy!” What’s “Troy”? A city on one of the Colony worlds? A moon of one of the Colony worlds? A minor planet in one of the Colony-world star systems? (Come to think of it, it’s never been made clear, has it, whether all of the Twelve Colonies are all in the same star system, or a group of close neighbor star systems?) ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994/2 "2005-04-06T04:41:35Z")
I’m gonna take a wild guess and assume that Troy is a city since, you know, Troy was a city. And it’s obviously not a Zodiac sign. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994/3 "2005-04-06T04:52:09Z")
See [here](http://www.mediablvd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21305) for the names of the colonies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994/4 "2005-04-06T05:20:42Z")
Troy was a mining colony. On an asteroid, IIRC. I think they might have been Sagitarian, but I can’t remember where the hell that got into my head, so it may be 100% wrong. They seem to have expanded the number of colony worlds out from the 1/tribe of the original series. Here’s a list of the colonies (although I’m not sure of the provenance of some): [Colonies!](http://scn.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/13310331/m/30110976563/r/84610804863) Caprica Geminon Canceron Picon (Really should be Piscon, the “S” is silent) Sagitara(n) Leoian Libran Virgon Aquaria Aerilon Tauron Scorpio I keep seeing Icon on lists, but I’m pretty sure that’s just a mishearing of Picon. I’ve also seen one with ‘Trevor’ which just confused the hell out of me. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994/5 "2005-04-06T07:24:08Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > See [here](http://www.mediablvd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21305) for the names of the colonies. 😃 You owe me a new brain. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994/6 "2005-04-06T11:15:42Z")
Dopey, Sneezy, Grumpy, Greasy, Sleazy, Itchy, Scratchy, Surly, Remorseful, Stimpy, Adultery and Carbuncle. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994/7 "2005-04-06T18:15:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I know the Twelve Colonies in _Battlestar Galactica_ (old series and new) are based (for no adequately explained reason) on the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac (which, presumably, would not be the same viewed from any of the Colony worlds, if they’re in a different part of the galaxy), I think the assumption is that when our ancestors got here to Earth, they named the Zodiac after the other 12 colonies, to remind them of where they came from or something like that, but that’s all been long since forgotten, and only the Zodiac names remain. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994/8 "2005-04-06T18:20:49Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Dopey, Sneezy, Grumpy, Greasy, Sleazy, Itchy, Scratchy, Surly, Remorseful, Stimpy, Adultery and Carbuncle. You left out “Bob”. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994/9 "2005-04-06T18:23:53Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > See [here](http://www.mediablvd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21305) for the names of the colonies. 😃 Trevor? ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bsg-question-names-of-the-twelve-colonies/297994/10 "2005-04-06T22:41:19Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > You left out “Bob”. And Carol And Ted And Alice.