Alpha Centauri is a trinary star system consisting of the three companion stars Rigil Kentaurus, Quindar and Proxima.

History and specifics[]

At a little over four light-years distant, this is the closest star system to Earth in the Sol system. By the 24th century, the system's three inhabited planets and various space stations and outposts supported a population of over 21 billion sentient individuals. (TOS reference: Star Fleet Technical Manual; ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation; TOS novels: Crisis on Centaurus, Time for Yesterday)

It is located in the Beta Quadrant.

In an early extraterrestrial observation, Alpha Centauri was surveyed by the Vulcan civilization's starship Fal Chaya. (Decipher RPG module: Starships)

Earth's first permanent colony on one of the Alpha Centauri planets was established in the year 2116. (VAN - Declassified short story: "Hard News")

The Federation worlds here are sometimes also referred to simply as Alpha Centauri. According to Starfleet Intelligence outpost maps, this system's coordinates are 1.27N 2.92W, placing it in the Starfleet Intelligence sector 1. (FASA RPG module: Star Fleet Intelligence Manual)

During the Dominion War, Alpha Centauri was a pivotal planet in the Federation's defense, with its supply lines to Vulcan being the Federation's "life's blood", as Admiral Sitak told Benjamin Sisko in 2374. Captain Sisko thought it was a mistake to devote so many ships to protect them from the Jem'Hadar in a bid to "defend our way to victory". (DS9 novelization: ...Sacrifice of Angels)

Later that year, Alpha Centauri, along with Vulcan, Andor and Tellar Prime, were threatened by the fall of Betazed to the Dominion. (DS9 episode: "In the Pale Moonlight")

A Federation transwarp hub was opened in the system in the year 2404, an event which was attended by Admiral Chakotay. (ST website: The Path to 2409)

Alternate timelines[]

In an alternate timeline, Alpha Centauri was wiped out by the Xindi following their destruction of Earth in 2154. (ENT episode: "Twilight")

In another alternate timeline in which Montgomery Scott rescued James T. Kirk before he could be absorbed into the Nexus, Alpha Centauri was the first world that had been assimilated and was in the process of being converted into raw materials after the fall of Earth, decades after the assimilation of Earth in 2063. By 2293, the Alliance had secretly placed several hundred cloaked photon torpedoes near the system, intent on destroying the Borg presence there. (Star Trek novel: Engines of Destiny)

In another alternate timeline created by the death of Gabriel Bell prior to the Bell Riots in 2024, Earth remained a pre-warp civilization and never expanded beyond the Sol system. Consequently, neither the United Federation of Planets nor Starfleet ever existed. The USS Defiant, having been protected from the changes in the timeline by a subspace bubble, detected Romulan transmissions emanating from Alpha Centauri. This would indicate that the Romulan Star Empire was able to expand considerably further in this timeline due to the lack of Federation interference. (DS9 episode: "Past Tense, Part I")

In fiction[]

One story in the literature of Captain Proton featured this system. In "Captain Proton's Adventure at Alpha Centauri", one of its inhabited worlds planned an invasion of Earth in the year 2000. (ST - Captain Proton: Defender of the Earth short story: "Letters to Captain Proton")

System makeup[]

• Rigil Kentaurus (A) and Quindar (B)*, binary pair
  • Alpha Centauri I
  • Behemoth (Alpha Centauri II)
  • Alpha Centauri III
    • one moon
  • Alpha Centauri IV (Centaurus)
    • two moons
  • Alpha Centauri V
    • two moons
  • Alpha Centauri VI
    • 8 moons
  • Alpha Centauri VII (Al Rijil, the Alpha Centauri planet)
  • Alpha Centauri VIII
  • Alpha Centauri IX
  • Alpha Centauri X
  • Alpha Centauri XI
  • Alpha Centauri XII
  • Alpha Centauri XIII
• Quindar (B)
  • New Montana
  • Perry
  • Lang
  • Kent
  • Olson
• Proxima (C), third star component
  • Proxima Centauri II
  • Proxima Alpha
  • Proxima Beta
  • Proxima Maintenance Yards

Other worlds: Toralon

See also[]

• Alpha Centauri colony

Appendices[]

Connections[]

Stars, systems and objects of the Centaurus constellation
1 Centauri • Alpha Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus • Quindar • Proxima) • Beta Centauri • Tau Centauri • Theta Centauri • Zeta Centauri
Alpha Centauri sector
Alpha Centauri system	Alpha Centauri A (primary) • Alpha Centauri I • II. Behemoth (Alpha Centauri II-A) • Alpha Centauri III (1 moon) • IV. Centaurus (2 moons) • Alpha Centauri V (2 moons) • Alpha Centauri VI (8 moons) • VII. Al Rijil • Alpha Centauri VIII • Alpha Centauri IX • Alpha Centauri X • Alpha Centauri XI • Alpha Centauri XII • Alpha Centauri XIII • Toralon
	Alpha Centauri B • Olson • II. New Montana • Perry • III. Lang • IV. Kent
	Proxima Centauri • Proxima Centauri (Proxima Maintenance Yards) • Proxima Centauri I (Proxima Centauri I-A) • Proxima Centauri II • Proxima Alpha • Proxima Beta

Centauran stars and star systems
Centauran home system (Alpha Centauri): Rigil Kentaurus (Alpha Centauri A) • Quindar (Alpha Centauri B) • Proxima (Alpha Centauri C)
Alpha Canus Majoris/Alpha Canaris • Arabenn • Beta Rigalia • Egara 172 • Kolitor • Illex • Laxes Alpha • Leoxa • Luris Eta • Maven Parsis • Megolar • Minarcis Alpha • Molinus • Moxenalus • Oroness • Osiris • Parsus Indi • Pillas Minora • Piram • Princip • Principius Midos • Quadrix • Ridix • Sestarci 124 • Singularity • Sirius • Tarletus

Alpha and Beta Quadrant stars and star systems (A)
Aalad • Aarak • Aarra • Abakir • Abalma • Abassa • Abdadi • Abel • Aberriz • Abessia • Aboira • Abraxas • Abrena • Abrora • Abrox • Ab'vek • Abyss Alpha • Accellus • Achillon • Aciben • Adigeon • Adonolo • Adra • Ad'reth • Adrian's Bane • Ad'veth • Aecupus • Aeon • Aerie • Aerimea • Aesa • Aesir • Aesuri • Aetisan • Aexix • Afebra • Aferva • Aflor • Afritalis • Agbar • Agiirrat • Agrico • Ahadi • Ahzdar • Aia'vadi • Ailig • Ain • Ainaro • Aindia • Ain'Tok • Airola • Aiti • Ajora • Akemora • Akers • Akiren • Alabaster • Alacti • Aladfar • Aladso • Alak • Alamedus • Alannah • Alaris • Alastor • Alatum • Alcyone • Alderam • Alderamin • Aldhan • Alela • Aleph • Alera • Alexisian • Aleyda • Alfas Ducat • Alfin-Bernard • Alfirk • Alfor • Alfr • Algerida • Algeron • Alila • Alioth • Alkalurops • Alkuk • Allendon • Almedo • Almeisan • Almekan • Alnath • Alnitak • Alonso • Alorina • Alpha Aldiss • Alpha Arietis • Alpha Ataru • Alpha Baratis • Alpha Coranda • Alpha Darwin • Alpha Demetrius • Alpha Emori • Alpha Epsilon Tauri • Alpha Equulei • Alpha Feronis • Alpha Helios • Alpha Honorus • Alpha Hydros • Alpha Imvori • Alpha Is'tek • Alpha Kiriki • Alpha Kratonii • Alpha Leporis • Alpha Min'roth • Alpha Maluria • Alpha Marak 272 • Alpha Narnia • Alpha Nemvadi • Alpha Nexus • Alpha Nimorra • Alpha Omicron • Alpha Orionis • Alpha Ortelina • Alpha Parnaculon • Alpha Persei • Alpha Quarram • Alpha Sarpeidon • Alpha Shiro • Alpha Sigma • Alpha Tau • Alpha Tel'reth • Alpha Tenori • Alpha Theta • Alpha Trimora • Alpha Varangis • Alpha Vegetis • Alpha Vergoris • Alpha Xaridian • Alphax • Alsafi • Altamid • Altanea • Altanis Idrilon • Altar • Althos • Altor • Aludra • Alula • Alvaradi • Alvarka • Alya • Alycen • Ama Daraan • Amal • Amana • Amboris • Ambrose's Star • Amebis • Amelda • Ami Bera • Ammdon • Amon • Ampok • Ampolis • Amstar • Amvada • An Daraan • Anaxa • Anaxar • Andra • Andrade Abyss • Andrea • Andrek • Androcus • Anelda • Anezira • Anki • Angosia • Annobon • Anrak • Anreta • Antas • Antede • Antiacus • Antide • Antigone • Antilios • Antipathy • Antonehk • Antos Veria • Antros • Anzibar • Aparcha • Aphir'keth • Apnira • Aprilia • Apyra • Aquila Scorpi • Ar Daraan • Arachnae • Arada • Arak • Aralan • Arali • Arara • Arb'sa • Arbutus • Arcadia • Arcan-Beta • Arcanis Majoris • Archernar • Archibald • Ardaji • Ardan • Ardana • Aretian • Argentomea • Argez • Argona • Arhennius • Aria • Ariax • Arianna • Aridanes • Aridia • Arkab • Arken • Arkto • Arloff • Armus • Arnab • Arneb • Arnebius • Arnos • Arori • Aroven • Arrakis • Artaleirh • Artemis • Arvada • Asara • Aseara • Asellus • Ashgrave • Ashira • Asiti Alpha • Asiti Beta • Askalifex's Sorrow • Askalon • Asmidiske • Asneth • Asta Daraan • Astamante • Astarea • Asterope • Astra Bel • Astra Bora • Astra Enda • Astra Fara • Astra Imra • Astra Ina • Astra Jelra • Astra Jora • Astra Kalda • Astra Kol • Astra Lera • Astra Melva • Astra Menta • Astra Nor • Astra Pevra • Astra Rendra • Astra Veldra • Astra Vin • Astra Yara • Astra Yera • Astrida • Atabis • Atalia • Atalis • Atana Daraan • Atarvi • Atlas • Atria • Atrius • Atropira • Atryn • 'aucdet • Augustus Gamma • Aumoide Pore • Auva • Avery • Avan • Avek • Av'tel • AX Arae • Axelot • Axtox • Ayela • Ayin Aleph • Aylus Alpha • Aylus Beta • Ayta • Ayvren • Azati Prime • Azedis • Azentra • Azinda
Alpha Quadrant stars and systems (A)	Aaamazzara • Abilakk Alpha • Abilakk Beta • Achird • Actrium • Adhil • Adia Alpha • Adia Beta • Aegis Aquila • Ajir • Al Nath • Alam'ak system (Alam'ak) • Albireo • Alcor • Aldhibain • Alferaz (Alferaz A • Alferaz B) • Algol • Algira • Alkaid • Almach • Almatha • Alpha Andromedae (Alpha Andromedae A • Alpha Andromedae B) • Alpha Aquarii • Alpha Aquilae • Alpha Aurigae • Alpha Boötis • Alpha Canum Venaticorum • Alpha Camus • Alpha Coronae Borealis • Alpha Cygni • Alpha Majoris • Alpha Ophiuchi • Alpha Proxima • Alpha Trianguli • Alpha Ursae Majoris • Alpha Zaria • Alpha-1 Andromedae • Alpha-2 Andromedae • Alphecca • Alpheratz • Altair • Amleth • Ancha • Andromeda • Ankaro • Antica • Antos • Anzat Alpha • Anzat Beta • Aokii • Aquila • Arawath • Arbazan • Archaria • Arcturus • Arduria • Argaya • Argus • Arteline • Ascella • Atair • Atik • Aurelia • Avenal
Beta Quadrant stars and systems (A)	Acamar • Achernar • Acrux • Acubens • Adara • Adelphous • Adhafera • Adhara • Aelas • Agena • Agornu • Agurtha • Ajilon • Akaali • Al Nair • Alchibah • Aldebaran • Algorab • Alhena • Alkes • Alnilam • Alpha-2 Centauri • Alpha Cancri • Alpha Canis Minoris • Alpha Canis Majoris (Alpha Canis Majoris A • Alpha Canis Majoris B) • Alpha Carinae • Alpha Centauri (Alpha Centauri A • Alpha Centauri B • Alpha Centauri C) • Alpha Chamaeleonis • Alpha Circini • Alpha Comae Berenices • Alpha Corvi • Alpha Crucis • Alpha Cygni • Alpha Eridani • Alpha Geminorum • Alpha Gruis • Alpha Hydri • Alpha Leonis • Alpha Mensa • Alpha Monocerotis • Alpha Onias • Alpha Phoenicis • Alpha Pictoris • Alpha Prime • Alpha Scorpii • Alpha Virginis • Alpha Volantis • Alpha Zeta • Alphard • Alshemali • Alterf • Alungis • Amar • Amargosa • Amirii • Andoria • Angel • Ankaa • Antares • Archanis • Archer • Argelius • Argelius B • Arided • Avior • Axanar • Azha • Azraga

References[]

• TOS episode: "Tomorrow is Yesterday"
• TOS episode: "Metamorphosis"
• Last Unicorn RPG module: Raiders, Renegades & Rogues
• ST video game: Klingon Academy

External links[]

• Alpha Centauri article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• Alpha Centauri article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.