stellar cartography n.
a branch of cartography concerned with astronomical objects; (occas. cap.) an organizational unit or work area devoted to this; cf. astrogation n.
Science fictional use appears to have begun on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and is frequently associated with the Star Trek universe.
Memory Alpha
Science
Star Trek
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1883 Proceedings of Literary & Philosophical Association of Liverpool (#37) lv
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5th February, 1883. [...] Mr.
R. C. Johnson , F.R.A.S., read a short paper on ‘The Application of Photography to Stellar Cartography.’ -
1891 Spectator 7 Mar. 357 (advt.)
Now ready, second edition…. Charts of the Constellations…. Surely this is the very luxury of stellar cartography.
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1993 Lessons (Star Trek: The Next Generation episode) (transcription)
I’m sorry, sir, but Stellar Cartography has requested a communications blackout while they run an experiment. [Ibid.] Well, I know this is all pretty dry stuff. Stellar cartography isn’t everybody’s cup of tea.
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1994
Ronald D. Moore
Brannon Braga
INT. STELLAR CARTOGRAPHY…. A room filled with exotic-looking devices, sensors, and computers which handle the enormous task of tracking the ship’s position in space.
Star Trek Generations (screenplay) (final draft, 14 Oct.) 62 -
1994
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J. M. Dillard
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In Stellar Cartography, Captain Picard and Commander Data investigate an interspatial nexus.
Star Trek: Generations (photo section) (caption) -
1997
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Michael Jan Friedman
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Reed smiled. ‘It’s a course change, Ben. One that’ll take us to a planet known as Nicanthus Prime in Prodigion’s stellar cartography files. Mind you, I’m not sure who gave it that name or even who originally mapped the sector in question, but—’
Redemption of Silver Surfer xvi. 240 -
1998 You Look Like You Could Use Elizabethan Adventure on Holodeck in The Onion 13 May (unpaged)
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The tedium of hours spent mapping lifeless nebulae down in Stellar Cartography will melt away as we weather winter storms and head up the Thames to accept the Queen’s scarf as a trophy!
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1998
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Margaret Weis
Tracy Hickman
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‘Thought you might help us out with a little stellar cartography problem.’ ‘Help you I can, but pay me you must,’ the little man said, his long pointed ears flapping in anticipation.
Nightsword xxi. 204 -
2005
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Blaine Lee Pardoe
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Rosse smiled before answering. ‘When the HPG network collapsed, the virus responsible for its collapse did something unexpected. It deleted Wyatt from the stellar cartography atlases in hundreds of thousands of databases—including ComStar’s own maps. Thus, the star disappeared.’
Target of Opportunity ii. 37 -
2007
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Linnea Sinclair
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He’s logged for an inspection tour of navigation and stellar cartography at oh-nine-thirty tomorrow. He will probably also ask—no, demand that I accompany him. I can’t be with him and in his quarters at the same time. And I can’t refuse to go with him, because then he might go back to his quarters and find me there.
Games of Command xi. 153 -
2011
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John Jackson Miller
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Kerra sat, a student again in stellar cartography just as in the Jedi academy. Only this was a lesson no Jedi Knight ever had—from a teacher none would suffer to live. And yet she was spellbound. The stars above had meaning now, painted in colors and outlined. There was Chelloa, where she’d arrived. There was the winding path to Darkknell. And there was the refugees’ flight path, leading through Byllura to Syned. Symbols hovered in the air, marking Arkadia’s best guesses at who controlled what.
Knight Errant xxi. 301 -
2021
Charlie Jane Anders
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‘You’ll never guess, it wasn’t obvious at first, but I figured it out because of all the things that Riohon has been teaching me about stellar cartography and different notation systems.’ ‘Is it a star map?’ I squint, trying to see a constellation. ‘No, no. It’s a stellar classification system.’
Victories Greater Than Death xxxv. 191
Research requirements
interdating pre-TNG SF examples
Research History
Suggested, and most cites submitted, by Ben Ostrowsky.
Last modified 2021-11-04 14:05:09
In the compilation of some
entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries
in OED.