The galactic core, also referred to as the Shapley Center, is an area of intense radiation and gravity that spreads out for thousands of light-years in the center of the galaxy. The term coreward was used in galactic navigation, referring to the direction of a galaxy's core. The central core is the center of the spiral shape of the galactic region, where all the spiral arms meet in what is presumed to be a large collapsed black hole-type mass referred to as Sagittarius A*. This region is considered by astronomers and astrophysicists as the origin of star formation. (ST reference: Star Fleet Technical Manual)