Qo'noS
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
- "Only Qo'noS endures". - Klingon death chant (DS9: "Tears of the Prophets")
| Qo'noS | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class: | M |
| Native Species: | Klingon |
| Location: | Klingon system Beta Quadrant |
| Affiliation: | Klingon Empire |
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Qo'noS (transliterated to Kronos in English) is a Class M planet, homeworld of the Klingons and capital of the Klingon Empire.
Contents |
Astronomical Data
Location
Using the Vulcan star charts, Qo'noS was first visited by Humans in 2151. It is about four days away from Sol at warp 4.5.
- Qo'noS was mentioned as being located four days from Earth at warp 4.5 in the Enterprise episode "Broken Bow". Warp 4.5 equates to approximately 30,000,000 kilometers per second (100 times the speed of light), and Archer also mentions that the Enterprise is traveling at this speed. If the Enterprise sustained warp 4.5 for the duration of the four days, Qo'noS should only be about one light year from Earth. However, this is only one quarter of the distance between Sol and her nearest neighbor, Proxima Centauri, 4.2 light years away. The Homeworld cannot be farther away than 90 light years, as Archer referred to Risa in ENT: "Two Days and Two Nights" as being the farthest away from Earth any man had gone to that point.
Name(s)
- Qo'noS
- The Homeworld
- Other unofficial names for the Klingon homeworld exist. Kling comes from an abandoned premise which was mentioned in TNG: "Heart of Glory" and a few FASA role-playing games. It is also used (along with Klinzhai) in the 1989 edition of The Worlds of the Federation; in the Star Trek Encyclopedia, it is stated that Kling was in fact the original name for the planet but most people thought it was silly. Kling is now more commonly considered a major province on the planet Qo'noS. Klinzhai is another commonly-mentioned non-canon name; it was used mostly in the FASA RPG and various novels, until the release of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Further Information
Historical
Qo'noS is the homeworld of the Klingons and the capital world of the Klingon Empire, and houses the Klingon High Council and other important institutions.
In 2293, the nearby moon Praxis, a key energy-production facility for the Klingon Empire, exploded after an accident involving over-mining which sent out a subspace shock wave, causing severe damage to the planet's ozone layer. This event forced planning for the evacuation of the planet and led to the signing of the First Khitomer Accord with the Federation. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
Qo'noS first joined the Federation sometime in some fashion after 2327 and before 2365. (TNG: "Samaritan Snare")
- It was not clear based on Wesley's statement in "Samaritan Snare" in exactly what capacity the Klingons "joined" the Federation, but other episodes would indicate it was not a full membership. In any case, this "joining" would certainly explain why K'Nera had a Federation emblem aboard his ship, as seen in "Heart of Glory".
Geographical
One region on Qo'nos is the Ketha lowlands, which are dominated by agricultural usage and are the birthplace of General Martok. (DS9: "Once More Unto the Breach")
- According to the script for TNG: "Sins of the Father", the surface of Qo'noS comprises a single supercontinent and a vast ocean. In addition, the planet has a severely tilted axis which causes wild seasonal changes, a turbulent atmosphere, and extremes of both warm and frigid weather.
Topography
- Caves of No'Mat
- Hamar Mountains
- Sea of Gatan
- Kang's Summit
- Kri'stak volcano
- Lake of Lusor
- Skral River
Regions
Cities
- First City (capital)
- Qam-Chee
- Quin'lat
- Tong Vey
Landmarks
Zoological
- Glob fly
- Goat
- Grint hound
- Grishnar cat
- Jackal
- Jackal mastiff
- Lingta
- Monster dog
- Octopus
- Pipius
- Sabre bear
- Serpent worm
- Sark
- Targ
Appendices
Appearances
- ENT:
- "Broken Bow"
- "Unexpected" (holographic)
- "The Expanse"
- TNG:
- DS9:
Background
It is not clear if the Qo'noS seen in ENT: "Broken Bow" is the same planet as that seen in the TNG and DS9 episodes, since the evacuation and a possible relocation of the Klingon capital world has never been seen or mentioned on screen, but merely planned at the Khitomer Conference in 2293. Nevertheless, the two versions of the planet (ENT vs. TNG/DS9) appear quite different from each other. Some believe this is due to pollution in the planet's atmosphere. This possible relocation would also serve to explain the differences in distances between "Broken Bow" and episodes set at later dates.
"Kronos", or alternately Cronus, was the name of a mythical Titan who was slaughtered by his offspring, Zeus. The use of this name may be a reference by the writers to that act, since Klingon mythology holds that the first Klingons killed their gods after being created by them as noted in DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited".
