Rigel system
The Rigel system was an inhabited planetary system in the Alpha Quadrant. The system consisted of the primary Rigel, at least twelve planets, and an asteroid belt, and was home to the Rigel, or Rigellian, colonies. (; ) 

In the mid-23rd century, the Rigel system was part of the most densely populated section of the Milky Way Galaxy. () The species living in the system include the Rigelians of Rigel V, () the similarly-named Rigellians, () the Kalar of Rigel VII, () and the  of Rigel IV. () By the mid-23rd century, there were also Humans living in the Rigel system. () The Rigellian hypnoid and Rigellian ox were animal species native to the Rigel system. (; ) Ratana trees were also from this system. ()

The Barros Inn was known to be one of the wildest bars in the system. () Rigelian chocolates and the Rigelian flamegem were other items that originated from this system, as were the diseases Rigelian fever and Rigelian Kassaba fever. (; ; ) "Moon over Rigel VII" was a song with fairly simple lyrics, inspired by a natural satellite of Rigel VII. ()

The substance selgninaem was processed in this system for use as a catalyst in industrial biochemical substances. (, okudagram)

Location 
The system was located less than ninety light years from the Sol system. ()

In the 2250s, the Rigel system was several weeks away from the Vega colony at the maximum cruising speed of a  heavy cruiser. () 

In 2293, the location of Rigel in the Milky Way Galaxy was labeled in a star chart that was in Captain James T. Kirk's quarters aboard the . (, okudagram)

In 2367, the location of Rigel was labeled on a tactical situation monitor in Captain Benjamin Maxwell's ready room on the . (, okudagram) 

In 2376, the location of Rigel was labeled on a star chart in astrometrics on  in 2376. (, okudagram)

In 2366, in an alternate timeline, during the , the location of Rigel was labeled on a tactical situation monitor in the ready room aboard the . (, okudagram)

History 

By the mid-22nd century, this system had been charted and explored by several species including the Klingons and the Vulcans. Both races knew it as Rigel. In 2151, the system became known to Humans as well, when Captain Jonathan Archer used Vulcan star charts to plot a course there. The Rigel system was the first star system visited by , the first Earth starship with the warp 5 engine, after it departed from the Sol system. The Rigel colony on Rigel X was a popular trade complex at the time, visited by numerous species. ()

By the mid-2150s, Rigelians from Rigel V were visiting Earth. () In early 2155, the Rigelians participated in talks discussing their wish to join as a possible member in the Coalition of Planets along with Humans, Tellarites, Andorians, Coridanites, Denobulans, and Vulcans. () 

In 2254, a landing party from the  was attacked by the native Kalar warriors on Rigel VII. () By the 24th century, the Kalar castles of Rigel VII had become tourist attractions. ()

In 2266, several women on Rigel IV were murdered by Redjac. () During the same year, Harcourt Mudd, using the illegal Venus drug, attempted to sell Eve McHuron, Ruth Bonaventure, and Magda Kovacs to lithium miners on Rigel XII. ()

Some time before 2267, Leonard McCoy visited Rigel II where he met two female cabaret dancers. ()

In 2267, the Rigel system had a population in the millions. This system was threatened by the planet killer until the combined efforts of the starships  and USS Enterprise destroyed the extragalactic doomsday weapon. ()

In 2327, Ensign Jean-Luc Picard had two dates on Starbase Earhart with Penny Muroc, who was from the Rigel system. ()

In the 2360s, Starfleet Academy cadets of the Nova Squadron won the Rigel Cup, a competition in which fighter pilots competed for piloting excellence. ()

During the Dominion War, the Federation maintained a pergium refinery on Rigel IV. ()

In an alternate future, Geordi La Forge lived with his wife and children on Rigel III. ()

Appendices

Background information 
According to StarTrek.com, Rigel was located in the Alpha Quadrant.  

According to the pronunciation guide for , Rigel was pronounced as "RYE-jell". 

In "Two Days and Two Nights", the   set a milestone several months after its mission to Rigel X by becoming the first Earth ship to travel ninety light years away from the Sol system.

In the real world, the star , or Beta Orionis, is a star located 773 light years from the Earth in the constellation . This constellation was seen on screen in  and on a constellation star chart in the . 

According to Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual, Starbase 134 was located in the Rigel system, on Rigel VI. It was home to one of Starfleet's many ASDB Integration Facilities and was a major production base for building  starships and Type 15 shuttlepods.

According to Star Trek: Star Charts (pp. 36, 45, 59, "United Federation of Planets II") and the Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library ("Federation Historical Highlights, 2161-2385"), there were in fact two systems, both located in the Beta Quadrant, that were called the Rigel system. These were Beta Rigel and Beta Orionis. 

 Beta Rigel was a star named by Earth astronomers for its perceived proximity to Beta Orionis. Beta Rigel was a spectral type A5V star with an absolute magnitude of 6.2. The Beta Rigel System was in fact located relatively close to the Sol system and was explored in the mid-22nd century. Of the ten planets in this system, four of them were classified as M class. In the mid-22nd century, the Beta Rigel system was a destination on the  space lanes. In 2151, the  visited this system on its maiden voyage. The system, in 2378, was a destination on the major space lanes, and the system's inhabited planets were Federation members. A similarly named Rigel Beta ultimately made its way into canon in .

 Beta Orionis, also known as Rigel, was a binary star system. Rigel A was a B class star with a magnitude of -7. Rigel B was a B class star. Beta Orionis was located 773 light years from the Sol system, in non-aligned space in the Beta Quadrant.

Apocrypha 
According to the reference book The Worlds of the Federation (p. 36), the Rigel system and the Orion system are one and the same, Rigel VIII being  of the Orion species. According to the book, Rigel II and Rigel IV were colonized by Humans. According to Star Trek Maps ("Chart D"), the Rigel system was located around the real star Beta Orionis. The chart also references Rigel VIII as the planet Orion.

According to the Last Unicorn Games and Decipher role-playing games, the Rigellians were known as "Chelarians" and they were from Rigel III.

External links 
 
 
 

de:Rigel-System
ja:ベータ・ライジェル星系
nl:Rigel systeem
Star systems