Deneb IV was the inhabited fourth planet in the Deneb system of the Alpha Quadrant. This was the homeworld of the Bandi, a telepathic humanoid species, and the Denebian slime devil. The planet's internal heat generated an abundance of geothermal energy. In 2364, Deneb IV was at the edge of "the great unexplored mass of the galaxy". (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before"; TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"; DS9: "The Nagus" okudagram)
History[]
A written record of Mitchell's experiences on Deneb IV
During a mission to Deneb IV in the mid-23rd century, Gary Mitchell, with his friend James T. Kirk, was tested for his ability at telepathy. Mitchell had a marked ability to sense the telepathic communication used by the Bandi. In at least three cases, he was capable of carrying long telepathic communication with selected inhabitants, scoring 80% or higher on comprehension. On one night, in a telepathic communication with a female inhabitant, Mitchell suffered from after-effects that lasted for a while. Kirk later stated that he'd been worried about Mitchell ever since that night. As a pun, Mitchell referred to her as a nova. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")
By 2364, the Bandi had seemingly constructed Farpoint Station, a base which they subsequently offered to Starfleet. Intrigued by the extremely short time in which it was built, Starfleet sent the USS Enterprise-D on its maiden voyage to the planet in order to investigate the base. It was subsequently discovered that the station was in fact a space vessel lifeform, enslaved by the Bandi. Upon this discovery, the entity was released, and Starfleet and the Bandi began planning to reconstruct the station. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
This planet was listed with other planets that were identified as Starfleet allies in a chart which appeared on the USS Dauntless logistics strategic data display in 2384. According to the same display, the planet was the location of the new Farpoint Station. (PRO: "Supernova, Part 1")
| Deneb system |
|---|
| Deneb II • Deneb IV • Deneb V • Alpha Cygnus IX • Deneb XX |
Appendices[]
Background information[]
Hill prepares the Deneb IV landscape maquette/matte painting combination for filming
This planet's quadrant of origin is inferred based on the position of its star system as seen in the star chart appearing in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
This planet was originally intended to be called "Cygnus IV". It was even named that in Gene Roddenberry and D.C. Fontana's final draft script of "Encounter at Farpoint". [1]
Michael Okuda recalled how Deneb IV was originally depicted in "Encounter at Farpoint"; "The beautiful shot of Deneb IV was actually a matte painting done by Industrial Light & Magic, and that was done on film." Speaking shortly before the release of Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Next Level Blu-Ray sampler, Okuda also compared the remastered version of the planet with the original, saying, "The planet is pretty much dead on with what was done in the original shot." This referring to the planetary shot of Deneb IV. [2]
The planet surface of Deneb IV, including Farpoint Station and Bandi city, was in actuality a maquette, built by maquette specialist Gregory Jein. It, combined with a background matte painting, was filmed at ILM by visual effects cameraman Robert Hill. (The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 2, p. 41)
Both StarTrek.com and the Star Trek Encyclopedia, 4th ed., vol. 1, p. 202 classified Deneb IV as a M-class planet. [3](X)
The planet model for Deneb IV was later modified and used to represent Vulcan in "Sarek", "Unification I", "Gambit, Part I", and "Gambit, Part II".
Comparative Xenobiology
The Denebian slime devil was identified as a native species to this planet in the chart "Comparative Xenobiology", which was first seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Nagus".
According to Star Trek: Star Charts, there were two planets that shared the same name. Both were located in the Alpha Quadrant and classified as M-class. In 2378, both worlds were Federation members.
Deneb Kaitos IV, also known as Beta 16 Ceti IV, was – according to the book – the Deneb IV mentioned in "Where No Man Has Gone Before". The planet had one moon. In the mid-22nd century, this planet was a destination on the Vulcan trade routes. (pp. 41, 44, "United Federation of Planets I")
Alpha Cygni IV, also known as Deneb IV, was the planet seen in "Encounter at Farpoint". The planet was located 3,320 light years from the Sol system. As the homeworld of the humanoid Bandi, the planet was united under a single government, Bandi, which had its seat in Farpoint. In 2364, this world signed a treaty with Starfleet. Under the terms of this treaty, Starfleet would administer Farpoint Station. Between 2364 and 2378, this world was admitted to the Federation. In the census of 2370, there were counted an estimated 450 million Bandi living on the planet. Points of interest were Farpoint Station and Old City. (pp. 12-13, 34, 41, "United Federation of Planets I")
For the Star Trek: Prodigy episode "Let Sleeping Borg Lie", UI graphic designer Dominique Rossier created an info panel for the USS Dauntless mess hall depicting the Milky Way Galaxy with planet and Starfleet space station locations labeled. Identified as a planet, Deneb IV was one of the locations mentioned on the chart. Although the panel did not appear in the episode, it can be seen at Rossier's artist page at Art Station. [4]
Apocrypha[]
According to The Worlds of the Federation, Deneb IV was called "Kidta" by its natives.
External links[]
- Deneb IV at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Re-Used Planets in TNG at Ex Astris Scientia