Vulcan (Star Trek planet)
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| Vulcan | |
|---|---|
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| Class: | Minshara-Class |
| Location from Earth: | 16 light years |
| Quadrant: | Alpha |
| Affiliation: | Federation |
In the fictional Star Trek universe, Vulcan, or Vulcanis, is a reddish Minshara-Class planet orbiting the star 40 Eridani A, 16 light years from Earth, and is the homeworld of the Vulcans.
Much of its surface consists of deserts and mountain ranges, and large areas are set aside as wilderness preserves. It is much hotter, and has stronger surface gravity than Earth. However, its atmosphere is thinner than that of Earth. As a result of these factors, humans tend to tire out more quickly than native Vulcans. Zones of habitation are divided into provinces.
It was theorized that Vulcan was settled by colonists from Sargon's planet in approximately 500,000 B.C.E.
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[edit] Identity
From the 1970s, fan publications placed the planet around either Epsilon Eridani or 40 Eridani. The Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Home" set the distance between Vulcan and Earth at 16 light years, the real-world distance between Sol and 40 Eridani. 40 Eridani A is confirmed to be Vulcan's home star in Star Charts (Pocket Books, 2002).
[edit] Moon or double planet?
In an original series episode "The Man Trap" Spock stated that Vulcan has no moon. In the animated series episode "Yesteryear", a large body was seen in the sky.
The film Star Trek: The Motion Picture originally featured what appeared to be a large moon. The director's edition of the film, however, has removed the moon in addition to other alterations to the Vulcan landscape.
Furthermore, the episode Unimatrix Zero (VOY) mentions a "Vulcanis Lunar Colony".
Over the years a common fan explanation has been found for this apparent inconsistency. This theory holds that the body seen in "Yesteryear" and the movie is actually Vulcan's sister planet, T'Kuht.
The name T'Kuht was coined by Star Trek fan writer/artist Gordon Carleton, using Kraith Vulcan as a reference. Excerpts from the Landing Party Six Writer's Guide by Gordon Carleton (published in fanzine Warped Space 8, T'Kuhtian Press 1975): Girc'N is a native of T'Kuht, sister planet of Vulcan. (The existence of such a planet was visually documented in the animated ST episode Yesteryear. While we all know that... Spock himself said that "Vulcan has no moon," an enterprising Filmation animator saw fit to put a large planetoid on the horizon of Vulcan -- it's on the cover of Log One. D.C. Fontana, duly embarrassed that something of the sort should get through, postulated that Vulcan is part of a twin system, something like the home planets of the Romulans.)...The name T'Kuht is actually the Vulcan name for the planet... The name "T'Kuht" was used (and correctly attributed) in The Vulcan Academy Murders by Jean Lorrah (Pocket Books 1984). It is also used in the novel Spock's World.
Various other sources assert the moon is smaller and its name T'Kuht (sometimes spelled T'Khut) is a feminine name that means "watcher" in the Vulcan language; Terran astronomers call it Charis, after one of the Graces who married the god Vulcan in some versions of Roman mythology. While non-Vulcans often describe T'Kuht as "Vulcan's moon" (compare Pluto's so-called moon Charon), Vulcans themselves reject this usage as imprecise and illogical - hence Spock's statement that "Vulcan has no moon." However, T'Kuht has not yet been mentioned in any canonical source, although according to the Star Trek Star Charts, T'Khut is listed as a Class G planet.
[edit] Locations
- Fire Plains of Raal
- Gol (ancient city destroyed before the Great Awakening)
- Mount Seleya
- ShirKahr
- ShirKahr Academy
- T'Karath Sanctuary
- Temple of Amonak
- Vulcan's Forge (often abbreviated as 'The Forge')
- Vulcan Science Academy
- Vulcana Regar
It is possible to walk from the Forge to the outskirts of the capital city within a few days.
[edit] Native Lifeforms
- favinit (similar to an orchid)
- sehlat (described as a giant teddy bear with six-inch fangs)
- Vulcan molluscs
- Vulcan sandworms
- Vulcans
[edit] Trivia
- According to the non-canonical book Star Trek Star Charts, Vulcan's population in the 2370s is 4.9 billion.
- Early references to the planet in novels and other background material created for Star Trek: The Original Series gave the planet's name as Vulcanis and its inhabitants were called Vulcanians.
- The 40 Eridani-A Starfleet Construction Yards are located in Vulcan's star system, perhaps in orbit of Vulcan or elsewhere in the system. These yards are one of the larger starship construction facilities in the Federation.
- Due to the requirements for carbon-based life, Vulcan is likely about 0.61 AU from 40 Eridani. At this distance the planet would complete a revolution in 203 earth days.
