Perhaps one of the most unusual star systems discovered to date, the Spica star system is composed of two tightly orbiting stars, both of them are main sequence stars although one is near exhausting its supply of hydrogen at the core. The double stars are so close together that their gravity causes both stars to distort along the plain of their orbits. The star system has no known planets but is home to an extremely exotic array of interstellar gasses with some small planetoid sized bodies throughout in elaborately strange orbits.
- Location
- 25 lightyears from Earth in the Epsilon Tatva Sector
Dangers
Survey ships have traditionally stayed away from the system as four different early survey ships have disappeared within the system leaving no trace behind. Two later survey ships did eventually visit and do a cursory survey of the system detecting a plethora of subspace artifacts, anomalies, and other such distortions with are an extreme hazard to navigation.
The star system is also extremely unique in that it's pair orbit each other moving on all three axis causing an extensive array of shifting gravitational currents as well as solar winds within the system. Several beacons mark the system as a navigational hazard out to 5 lightyears. During their orbit, however, a central region is present and always shows as a null region on sensors. The changing conditions as one gets closer to the stars has made it too dangerous to explore as yet.
The United Federation of Planets Science Council as well as the Vulcan Science Academy have both stated that they wish to explore this phenomenon further but have not yet approved any plans to do so.
Explanations
While no ship has yet detected this yet, the four science vessels which were previously lost had been destroyed by gravitational hot-spot which roam through the system. They orbit in an spherical pattern around a central focal point which acts as the opening to a wormhole. The strong gravitational eddies and currents between the stars keep the opening stable and reasonably predictable.