The surface of Ocampa, made all but uninhabitable
The surface, ground, or overside is where the outer crust of a planetary body or celestial object meets the atmosphere or outer space. The study of planetary surfaces impacts the planetary science fields of geography, geology and exogeology. Something below the surface was said to be underground.
In exploring new worlds, Starfleet will often send landing parties to the surface of planets, asteroids or comets deemed safe to gather information or investigate unusual readings. (TOS: "The Cage", et al.)
For cultures driven underground like the Ocampa and the Novans, the surface was often seen as dangerous. (VOY: "Caretaker", ENT: "Terra Nova")
In 2364, when a star exploded, as it transitioned from a red supergiant to a white dwarf, a piece of the star's surface was blown into space. (TNG: "The Naked Now")
See also[]
- Land
- Surface gravity
- Surface Station
- Surface temperature