Is this TNG planet an homage to Star Wars' Alderaan? The memory alpha article says " Alderaan is, of course, the adopted homeworld of Star Wars' Princess Leia." Sweet!
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Alderaan
Cool! I love it when Sci-Fi shows and films include little in-jokes-- it shows that the writers are fans just like us.
One of my favorites is the Dedication Plaque of the U.S.S. Excelsior (from Search For Spock and The Undiscovered Country)
It includes the line "No matter where you go, there you are" from the film Buckaroo Banzai
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t91/wraith1702/ded_6.jpg)