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2−sort: 3
3−title: Glossary of Urbit Terms
4−---
5−
6−# Glossary of Urbit Terms
7−
8−Here is a simple overview of the most common Urbit terms. Once you understand this, you know almost everything you need to start using Urbit.
9−
10−## The Universe in a Table
11−
12− Size Name Parent Object Example
13− ----- ------ ------ ------ -------
14− 2^8 galaxy ~ datacenter ~zod
15− 2^16 star galaxy sysadmin ~doznec
16− 2^32 planet star user ~tasfyn-partyv
17− 2^64 moon planet device ~sigsam-nimbot-tasfyn-partyv
18− 2^128 comet ~ bot ~racmus-mollen-fallyt-linpex--watres-sibbur-modlux-rinmex
19− any urbit * * ~somnym-anynym
20−
21−> The below summary is also available [here](http://urbit.org/posts/address-space/).
22−
23−An Urbit identity is a string like `~firbyr-napbes`. It
24−means nothing, but it's easy to remember and say out loud.
25−`~firbyr-napbes` is actually just a 32-bit number, like an IP address,
26−that we turn into a human-memorable string.
27−
28−Technically, an urbit is a secure digital identity that you own and
29−control with a cryptographic key, like a Bitcoin wallet. As in
30−Bitcoin, the supply of urbits is mathematically limited. This keeps
31−the network friendly, by making spam and abuse expensive.
32−
33−An urbit name is just a number; smaller numbers make shorter names.
34−Shorter names are easier to remember, so they're more valuable. So
35−urbits are classified by the number of bits in their name. (A ship
36−name is just a scrambled base-256 representation of the number.)
37−
38−A 32-bit urbit (like `~firbyr-napbes`) is called a "planet." A 16-bit
39−urbit (like `~pollev)` is a "star." An 8-bit ship (like `~mun`) is a
40−"galaxy." A planet is an identity for an independent, adult human.
41−Stars and galaxies are network infrastructure.
42−
43−Each planet or star is launched by its "parent," the star or galaxy
44−whose number is its bottom half. So the planet `~firbyr-napbes`,
45−`0xdead.beef` or `3.735.928.559`, is the child of `~pollev`, `0xbeef`
46−or `48.879`, whose parent is `~mun`, `0xef`, `239`. The parent of
47−`~mun` and all galaxies is `~zod`, `0`.
48−
49−