 The Galaxy in which we live, and which the Star Trek universe exists, is a barred spiral galaxy 100,000 light years in diametre and 1000 light years thick throughout most of its volume. The central bulge is a sphere 10,000 light years in diametre, and the outermost 10,000 light years of the disc taper away towards the rim. The main disc shape of the Galaxy is surrounded by a fuzzy halo of sparsely spaced stars. The Galaxy rotates counter-clockwise as seen in the map above. Galactic directions are given as zenith ("up"), nadir ("down"), coreward (toward the galactic centre), rimward (toward the galactic edge), spinward (in the direction of galactic rotation) and trailing (opposite the direction of galactic rotation). The United Federation of Planets divides the Galaxy into four wedge-shaped quadrants, labelled Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta. Sectors are mapped according to coordinates centred in space on the galactic ecliptic, on a radial line from the galactic centre through Earth. The sector containing this point is referred to as Sector 000. Earth, Alpha Centauri, Andoria and Tellar, four of the five founding members of the Federation, are in the sector immediately to zenith, Sector 001. Vulcan, the fifth founding member of the Federation, is in the Vulcanis Sector, immediately rimward of Sector 001.
     
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