The Kerkhovian moon was the sole natural satellite of the planet Kerkhov in the Vulcan system. A class D world, it was once home to the advanced Kerkhovian species.
Astronomical data and surface topography of the Kerkhovian moon
The moon was located at coordinates 2701.6513. Its rotation period was 15.255 days. It had an estimated mass of 1.3524×1023 kilograms and a diameter of 5,194 kilometers, giving it an escape velocity of 1.253 meters per second per second. The moon was estimated to be 4.013 billion solar years old. The surface was dark and rocky, with an albedo of 0.21.
In the distant past, the Kerkhovians built an impressive civilization on the moon with several cultural sites. Eventually, they abandoned their world for interdimensional space, leaving behind their structures and a stable vortex that acted as a transport tunnel into their new realm.
The disappearance of the Kerkhovians remained a mystery to the Federation until 2259, when the USS Enterprise surveyed the moon and discovered the Kerkhovian tunnel. A flyby investigation by Lieutenant Commander Spock and Nurse Christine Chapel led to their shuttle accidentally colliding with the vortex. The Kerkhovians, misinterpreting Spock's hybrid physiology, transformed him into a full Human while healing his injuries. Chapel later successfully beseeched the Kerkhovians for the means to return Spock to his original self. (SNW: "Charades")
| Vulcan system |
|---|
| 40 Eridani A |
| 40 Eridani A I • Ni'Var • T'Khut (T'Khut moon) • Delta Vega • Asteroid belt |
| 40 Eridani B/40 Eridani C |
| Kerkhov (Kerkhovian moon) |