Map of the Alpha Quadrant

[Boggz]

posted on March 10th, 2010, 6:27 am

Last edited by Boggz on March 10th, 2010, 6:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

I'm sure a number of you have seen this before, but it's most certainly the most detailed map of the "important" section of the Alpha quadrant that I've seen.

http://www.geekstir.com/img/trekmap2.jpg

Check it out.  It is mostly a detailed grid of the "Conflict Area" in the Alpha Quadrant.  The rest of the Federation and the Klingon Empire section of the Beta quadrant are visible on the overly in the top right.

   
  Pretty cool!  I like the detail and the star systems set out in this map and that you can zoom in for a nice and close look.


  This Map is one that claims to be more "scientifically based".  It's the entire galaxy and has DETAILED (if somewhat numbing) explanations for Warp-speed and how it can be that the Federation is claimed to be 35,000 light years across and still be traversable in a logical manner.  I kind of like it, but it does make more sense to me that the major powers of the Alpha quadrant be in a much smaller area (the 1,500 light years shown in the first map).

2375 Map of the Milky Way Galaxy

This one is more "all encompassing" but I find it to be a little unreasonable in it's attempt to show the Federation as so big.  It does, however, take into account nearly EVERY reference to scale and size and action throughout the entire spectrum.

  I think that the "wild cards" like the Enterprise-A going to the center of the galaxy, the edge of the galaxy, and yadda yadda were simply writing misfires.  Writers do not have an infallible source of knowledge they can go to and find out if they're doing something impractical so these things are bound to happen.

posted on March 10th, 2010, 9:08 am

I knew the Sheliak Homeworld was distant but holy crap I didn't realize how far out it was... 

posted on March 10th, 2010, 9:37 am

I have the book that first map is from :-)

Also, I always thought they said the Federation was around 8,000 light years across...

posted on March 10th, 2010, 10:01 am

Also, I always thought they said the Federation was around 8,000 light years across...

  Apparently it changes.  Some references in the shows have been 35,000 LY in diameter (which is HUGE) ... but I like the idea of it being within 1,500 personally.  Makes the Galaxy much more vast and makes the physics of travel throughout the Alpha Quadrant much more realistic.

posted on March 10th, 2010, 10:25 am

I haven't seen any 35K references... only the 8K one.

posted on March 10th, 2010, 10:26 am

I haven't seen any 35K references... only the 8K one.

Tech Commentaries - Defenses and Propulsion


This is a subsection of the second map.  It's a GREAT number-crunching article that both accepts the inconsistencies and dutifully tries to rationalize them.  A great attempt .

posted on March 10th, 2010, 10:32 am

Does its rationalizing include the 'Space is 3D' theory most Sci-Fi doesn't?

posted on March 10th, 2010, 10:39 am

Umm .. I don't think it delves into it that deeply given that the Galaxy is primarily arranged on the x-y axis (looking down at it from above that is). 

posted on March 10th, 2010, 10:00 pm

Nice maps and nice find... but... lots of stuff is completely WRONG!  From distances, to the placement of the real-life known systems  . At least the second map doesn't even bother with putting star systems - though those empires are seriously out of whack in terms of size I think I can say 

3D shouldn't matter extraordinarily (it's like a CD near the rim - and even thinner in many places), though obviously it'll still make for some compaction and strangeness for inter-species boundaries  .

posted on March 10th, 2010, 10:56 pm

Nice maps and nice find... but... lots of stuff is completely WRONG!  From distances, to the placement of the real-life known systems  . At least the second map doesn't even bother with putting star systems - though those empires are seriously out of whack in terms of size I think I can say 

  Hmm well I think the first (more detailed) map is from a Star Trek Technical Manual if I'm not mistaken.  It's a fold out and was scanned and stitched together for the online pic.  Of course not all "Canon" things check out always.  It is cool to see such a detailed map though with distinctive Nuetral and Demilitarized Zones, the Badlands, the Briar Patch ... yadda yadda.

  What do you think should be different?

posted on March 11th, 2010, 2:15 am

Actually the first map is from a book titled Star Trek Starcharts and it's definitely more accurate then what is presented in the second link which completely contradicts most of the established maps.

From distances, to the placement of the real-life known systems

Location of real life systems aside, don't forget that the "distances" to various systems are measured in a straight line from the person measuring. The distance between two systems when viewed in a single plane, as the first map shows, will be smaller if the systems are not in the same plane in actual space.

posted on March 11th, 2010, 7:58 pm

Yup, that's true indeed Atlantisbase, but not so much as is presented there  . I have a strong feeling it was the author's best guess based on what he or she knew - rather than doing the research with very quantifiable results. That's the case for much of Star Trek stuff though. I can just remember Data's "humans are made of 95% water" remark 

posted on March 11th, 2010, 8:08 pm

The second map is really weird.  If the federation was that large, neither romulans, klingons nor dominion would be a real threat. The first one at least tries to recall some memories from the shows.

After all, boggz, do you have too much spare time?

posted on March 11th, 2010, 8:15 pm

do i interpret the first map wrong, or is the federational space parted in two pieces by the romulans in the first map? (the east-ish part doesnt seem to have a connection to the rest...)

posted on March 11th, 2010, 10:30 pm

I can't be bothered to dig out my copy of the starcharts, but as I recall it shows the Federation going round below the Klingon Empire and joining up with that stray part shown in that map

Sorry, a quick look again at that map says that I'm wrong  If you zoom in on the "overview" bit in the top right, it shows that it is indeed cut off from the rest of the Federation by the Klingon Empire...