Tau Ceti is a star with an associated star system, approximately 11.8 light years from Sol in Sector 004 within Federation space in the galaxy's Alpha Quadrant. It is visible from Earth in the Cetus constellation.
Specifics[]
Tau Ceti is a main sequence G type yellow star orbited by five planets. It was located in treaty boundary quadrant 0 in the general vicinity of Procyon and 40 Eridani. (ST reference: Star Trek Maps)
Sector 004 star charts denoted it as being in the general vicinity of Sol, Chara, and Van Maanen's Star in that sector. As it was near the border to Sector 006, it was also in the general vicinity of 61 Ursae Majoris and Epsilon Eridani. (ST reference: Star Charts)
Its coordinates placed it on Starfleet Intelligence sector 3 star charts in the general vicinity of Aldebaran, Argus, and Benecia. (FASA RPG module: The Federation)
The system has a vast amount of interplanetary debris, making space travel extremely difficult. Kaferia itself can only be approached via its poles. (ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation, TTN novel: Over a Torrent Sea, DTI novel: Watching the Clock)
History[]
The Tau Ceti system was the site of the Tau Ceti Accords, a treaty between Vulcan and the Andorian Empire. (ENT episode: "Shadows of P'Jem")
Tau Ceti was the intended destination of Khan Noonien Singh's Augment followers when they were launched into space aboard the sleeper ship SS Botany Bay in the year 1996. (TOS - Star Trek 2 novelization: Space Seed)
During the Earth-Romulan War, Tau Ceti (also referred to as Kaferia) fell to the Romulans in June of 2156. Following his defeat at the Second Battle of Deneva, Admiral Valdore quickly redeployed his forces and attacked the Earth colony at Tau Ceti IV. The Coalition of Planets forces protecting Tau Ceti were a combined Starfleet-Andorian-Tellarite task force led by Atlantis (NX-05), which was destroyed by the Romulans. The Romulan conquest of Tau Ceti gave the Romulans a forward operating base only 11 light years from Earth. (ENT - The Romulan War novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
Tau Ceti IV was the location of Amber, according to Starfleet's fictional Kobayashi Maru scenario training simulation. (TOS movie: The Wrath of Khan) Amber was the home port of the ECS Kobayashi Maru. (ENT - The Romulan War novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing)
In the mid-2260s decade, the USS Enterprise engaged and defeated a Romulan vessel near Tau Ceti. Enterprise deployed a Tactical Assault known as the "Cochrane deceleration maneuver." (TOS episode: "Whom Gods Destroy")
By the 2270s or 2280s, the Cassiopeia 1 R1 Investigator-class astrophysics research space laboratory was operational in the system. (FASA RPG module: Regula-1 Orbital Station Deckplans)
In the year 2273, the USS Potemkin conducted training exercises in the Tau Ceti system. Potemkin picked up Commander Spock at Tau Ceti, then took him to Vulcan. (TOS eBook: Shadow of the Machine)
In 2386, Doctor Geoffrey Mandel included Tau Ceti in his Federation Historical Highlights, 2161-2385 star chart. (ST reference: Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library)
Alternate realities[]
In the mirror universe, the Terran Empire lost twelve ships in a battle at Tau Ceti against alien rebels in 2155. This battle represented a major setback for the Empire. (ENT episode: "In a Mirror, Darkly")
By 2381 in the First Splinter timeline, system UFC 86783 was dubbed New Kaferia because its star so resembled Tau Ceti, though this system lacked its debris disk. (TTN novel: Over a Torrent Sea)
Planets in the system[]
- Tau Ceti Prime
- Tau Ceti II
- Kaferia (Tau Ceti III)
- Tau Ceti IV
- Tau Ceti V
Appendices[]
Connections[]
Stars, systems and objects of the Cetus constellation |
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13 Ceti • Ceti Alpha (Menkar) • Cetus system • Chi Ceti A • Deneb Kaitos (Beta-16 Ceti) • Gamma Ceti (Kaffaljidhma: Gamma Ceti I, Gamma Ceti I-A, Gamma Ceti I-B) • Epsilon Ceti (Risa) • Mu Ceti (Niburon) • NGC 321 (Eminiar: Eminiar VII • Vendikar) • NGC 994 (Aleriad • Azheril • Eruna) • Nimori Ceti • Omicron Ceti (Mira) • Sigma Ceti • Tau Ceti (Kaferia) |
References[]
External links[]
- Tau Ceti article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Tau Ceti article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.