Cestus IV was considered a Class Q rock in space that bordered the habitable zone of the Cestus star. Its irregular orbit caused temperatures to drop in an excess of -150 degrees Celsius. In 2388 a passing asteroid split and a large portion struck the planet altering its orbit. The resulting collision cause geological changes forcing up rich deposits of dilithium. The resulting strike gave it an orbit that maintains it in the habitable zone constantly, and shortened it years to 9 months, 18 days. Mining on Cestus IV is carried out by a coalition of mining firms based from different organizations in the Alpha, and Beta Quadrant.