Galaxy Map of the Foundation Universe

The map above plots 19 worlds from Isaac Asimov's Robot, Empire, and Foundation novels in a single three-dimensional galaxy. Distances and positions are schematic: Asimov rarely gave coordinates, so the layout is an approximation built to show how the story moves, from the crowded center around Trantor out to the thin edge where Terminus sits.

Drag to rotate, scroll to zoom, and select any world to see its description and a link to the matching article. The era switcher filters the map to the worlds that matter in each part of the saga, and the guided tour visits the key stops in story order. Without JavaScript the map cannot render, so this guide lists the same worlds in text.

The Robot Era

The earliest stories, set when humanity is still spreading outward from Earth and the Spacer worlds lead the way. These worlds matter most in the Robot novels and in the final chapters of Foundation and Earth.

Earth The legendary birthplace of humanity, lost to memory and myth. Its location became the greatest secret in the galaxy, protected by robots for millennia.
Aurora The oldest and most powerful Spacer world. With only 200 million inhabitants served by billions of robots, it represented the pinnacle of Spacer civilization.
Solaria The most isolationist of Spacer worlds. Each inhabitant lived alone on vast estates, communicating only through holographic viewing. Eventually became a sealed, automated world.
Comporellon A cold, conservative world, originally Baleyworld, that claims to be the oldest inhabited planet. In Foundation and Earth, its historians give Trevize the coordinates of three Spacer worlds.
Baleyworld The first Settler world, founded by Elijah Baley's son and named for the detective. Twenty thousand years later it is known as Comporellon.

The Galactic Empire

Twelve thousand years of imperial rule, centered on Trantor. These are the worlds of the Empire novels and of the first act of the Foundation story.

Trantor Capital of the Galactic Empire. An entire planet covered by a single city, housing 40 billion people and the Imperial Palace. The administrative center of 25 million worlds.
Kalgan Pleasure world of the galaxy that became the Mule's capital. From here, the mutant warlord launched his devastating conquest that nearly destroyed the Seldon Plan.
Anacreon The most powerful of the Four Kingdoms that emerged near Terminus after the Empire withdrew. Its threats forced the young Foundation to turn its nuclear technology into political influence.
Synnax Gaal Dornick's home world, a provincial planet. In Foundation, the young mathematician leaves it to join Hari Seldon's project on Trantor.
Helicon Hari Seldon's home world, a minor provincial planet known for its martial art of twisting.

The Foundation Era

The Seldon Plan unfolds from Terminus outward, through the Four Kingdoms, the Merchant Princes, the Mule, and the long search for the Second Foundation and for Earth.

Trantor Capital of the Galactic Empire. An entire planet covered by a single city, housing 40 billion people and the Imperial Palace. The administrative center of 25 million worlds.
Terminus Home of the First Foundation, established by Hari Seldon at the edge of the galaxy. From an encyclopedia project grew a civilization that would reshape the galaxy.
Earth The legendary birthplace of humanity, lost to memory and myth. Its location became the greatest secret in the galaxy, protected by robots for millennia.
Solaria The most isolationist of Spacer worlds. Each inhabitant lived alone on vast estates, communicating only through holographic viewing. Eventually became a sealed, automated world.
Kalgan Pleasure world of the galaxy that became the Mule's capital. From here, the mutant warlord launched his devastating conquest that nearly destroyed the Seldon Plan.
Gaia A living planet where every organism, rock, and atom shares a collective consciousness. The prototype for Galaxia — the ultimate destiny of humanity.
Anacreon The most powerful of the Four Kingdoms that emerged near Terminus after the Empire withdrew. Its threats forced the young Foundation to turn its nuclear technology into political influence.
Star's End The secret location of the Second Foundation, hidden at the opposite end of the galaxy from Terminus — or so it was believed. "At Star's End" proved to be a riddle within a riddle.
Korell A republic in name only, ruled by a hereditary Commdor and armed by the remnants of the Empire. Hober Mallow defeats it with trade instead of warships.
Tazenda The false trail the Second Foundation planted for the Mule. His fleet destroyed Tazenda, but neither it nor its barren subject world Rossem was the Second Foundation, which stayed hidden on Trantor.
Sayshell An independent planet near the Foundation Federation, fiercely proud of its non-alignment. Gateway to the mysterious world of Gaia.
Comporellon A cold, conservative world, originally Baleyworld, that claims to be the oldest inhabited planet. In Foundation and Earth, its historians give Trevize the coordinates of three Spacer worlds.
Smyrno One of the Four Kingdoms neighboring Terminus. Competed with Anacreon for regional dominance during the early Foundation era.
Neotrantor The pathetic remnant of Imperial glory. After Trantor was sacked, the Emperor retreated to this small neighboring world, ruling over a mere twenty agricultural planets.
Alpha Centauri Alpha, an ocean world orbiting Alpha Centauri A, was partly terraformed as a refuge for Earth's people. In Foundation and Earth it is the last stop before Earth.

Reading the Colors

Gold marks capitals and centers of power, blue marks Terminus, silver marks the Spacer worlds, and purple marks hidden or mysterious places such as Earth, Gaia, and Star's End. Larger, brighter points are the worlds the story keeps returning to.

Go Deeper

For the smaller worlds in one place, see the Worlds Guide. To follow these places in publication or story order, use the reading order guide, or browse the timeline and the glossary.