This article is a philosophical analysis of the metaphor of the second Copernican turn as it is currently used in geographical debates on planetarism. Drawing on the work of Hans Blumenberg and in particular his method of metaphorology, a critical analysis of the current debate on the planetary and the planetary crisis is undertaken. It is argued that this is less a conceptual novelty than a continuation of an ambivalence that has existed since Copernicus in dealing with new challenges.