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'Galactic quadrant', In the television series ''Star Trek'' and its spin-offs, refers to an area of the Galaxy. In the original Star Trek, it referred to an area interchangeable with a sector, but in the spin offs created in the 1990s, a system of four Galactic Quadrants, designated by the Greek letters Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, has been used.
It may be noted that their arrangement is placed neither in a clockwise nor counter-clockwise pattern.

Contents

Original usage

Four quadrants

Alpha and Beta Quadrants

Gamma Quadrant

Delta Quadrant

See also

References

External links

Original usage

The original usage of 'quadrant' appears in episodes such as "The Deadly Years" and "The Squire of Gothos", where numbered quadrants (448 and 904) are given. Star Trek Concordance, Trimble, Bjo, , , Titan Books, 1995, ISBN 1-85286-676-4 In other episodes it appears to refer to an entire quarter of the galaxy. The Star Trek Encyclopedia, , Mike, Okuda, Pocket Books, 1999, ISBN 0-671-53609-5 The season 3 '' Writers' Technical Manual'' asserts that there are 4 quadrants in each sector.^[1]

Four quadrants

The '' episode "The Price" introduced the concept of four quadrants of the galaxy, named the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta quadrants.
'' implies that the Alpha/Beta border runs through Federation space. The ''Star Trek Encyclopedia'' attributes this decision to rationalize a line in '', in which James T. Kirk claimed that the ''Enterprise'' was the only ship in a Quadrant. Maps produced by the art staff for the series (both on-screen and published) show that the Alpha/Beta border runs through the Sol system. Star Trek Star Charts, Mendel, Geoffrey, , , Pocket Books, 2002, ISBN 0743437705

Alpha and Beta Quadrants

Assuming the galactic meridian runs from the center of the galaxy through Earth's solar system, then the 'Alpha Quadrant' is between 0 degrees and 90 degrees, and the 'Beta Quadrant' is between 270 degrees and 360 degrees.
The Alpha Quadrant and the nearby areas of the Beta Quadrant are the primary setting of '', '', '', and ''. According to the ''Encyclopedia'', the Federation is largely on the Alpha Quadrant side, but with parts in the Beta Quadrant; whereas the Klingon and Romulan Empires are mainly in the Beta Quadrant but extend in part into the Alpha Quadrant. The ''Star Trek Star Charts'' have the Romulans and Klingons entirely within the Beta Quadrant, as well as the Gorn Hegemony, the Son'a Solidarity and the Metron Consortium. ''Star Trek Star Charts'' further located the First Federation, Breen, Ferengi, Tzenkethi, Cardassians, Bajorans, Talarians and Tholians in the Alpha Quadrant.
Of core worlds, ''Star Trek Star Charts'' claims that Vulcan (40 Eridani), Andoria (Procyon), Risa and the Rigel (Beta Rigel) systems are in the Beta Quadrant, with Tellar (61 Cygni), Trill and Betazed in the Alpha Quadrant.
''Star Trek Star Charts'' has the Romulans corewards and counterclockwise from the Federation core, with the Klingons rimwards of the Romulans. Federation territory is shown to expand around the backs of the Klingon and Romulan Empires, further into the Beta Quadrant. Other powers such as the Cardassians, Tholians and Ferengi are on the clockwise side of the Federation. The 1975 ''Star Fleet Technical Manual'' by Franz Joseph also has a galactic meridian running through Sol, but depicted the Romulans as being counterclockwise, and the Klingons as being clockwise.
Although the Romulans and Klingons are shown by maps as part of the Beta Quadrant, '' did not use this terminology, referring to them as Alpha Quadrant powers. Ronald D. Moore noted that the "Alpha quadrant is firmly planted in the audience's mind as where the Federation, the Klingons, and the Romulans all live so I think we'll stick with that nomenclature".^[2]
About 600,000 years ago, the Alpha Quadrant was dominated by the Tkon Empire, which is long since vanished by the time of the ''Star Trek'' series.

Gamma Quadrant

The 'Gamma Quadrant' is situated between 90 degrees and 180 degrees.
The Bajoran wormhole bridges the 70,000 light-year distance between the Alpha Quadrant's Bajor system and the Gamma Quadrant's Idran system. The Gamma Quadrant is explored in ''. The major native power in the Gamma Quadrant is the Dominion.

Delta Quadrant

The 'Delta Quadrant' is situated between 180 degrees and 270 degrees.
Most of the information about the Delta Quadrant and its inhabitants comes from the show ''. Apart from the voyages of the USS ''Voyager'' and the USS ''Equinox'', the United Federation of Planets has not explored this quadrant.
The Delta Quadrant is home to the Borg Collective, the Kazon, the Vidiians, the Talaxians, the Ocampa, the Hirogen, the Malon, as well as many others. Species 8472 is first encountered in this quadrant, although they are not native to this region or physical dimension. Most of the Borg Collective resides in the Delta Quadrant although they have space in the Beta Quadrant as well.

See also

★ Star Trek sectors

References

1. Star Trek: The Next Generation Writers' Technical Manual, Rick Sternbach and Mike Okuda, , , Lincoln Enterprises, 1989,
2. Answers Ronald D. Moore

External links