Stellar Cartography

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If you are looking for information about the area that is used for stellar cartography, see Science Facilities

Stellar cartography is the science and practice of making maps and projections of space. The United Federation of Planets and other starfaring cultures have various different systems to organize and catalogue space and objects in space.

Terminology

The most widely used cartography system is based on older Earth and Vulcan systems, and perhaps even older. It divides the galaxy into quadrants and sectors, and also uses coordinates to describe specific points in space.

Quadrants

Our galaxy is divided into four quadrants, defined by one meridian passing through the galactic core and the Sol System and a second one perpendicular to the first, that also passes through the galactic core.

The United Federation of Planets and its neighbouring powers are located in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

Some smaller sections of the galaxy are historically referred to as a quadrants as well. Examples of these smaller quadrants are:

Sectors

A sector is a much smaller, cubical volume of space. Sectors typically contain several stars and are consecutively numbered; some also have a label, normally, but not always, named after an important star system in that sector.

According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual and the Star Trek Star Charts, a sector is 20x20x20 light-years in size. This, however, is not entirely consistent with all on-screen data.

Stellar Charts

General

Federation space

Klingon space

Romulan space

Cardassian space

Dominion space

Various locations


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