Centaurus could be named Centaurus IV, as it is technically the fourth planet from the Alpha Centauri trinary. It was named Centaurus when the earliest Terran explorers were unable to sift through the unusual orbital paths of the other masses in the Centauri system. It wasn't until after humans had established a weak colony of Centaurus that the complex orbits of the system were cataloged and measured. By then, Centaurus was the registered name of the planet, and no future inhabitants saw fit to change it.

This planet has seen many historical and famous visitors throughout its centuries of Federation occupation. Among them, the great Zephram Cochrane had visited the most. This is perhaps due to the political nature of Centaurus-other M-class planets were known to the Federation from Vulcan exploration, but this was the first planet to be discovered by Human efforts. Like Luna, Centaurus has secured a place in Federation history as an icon of technological advancement and exploration.

Today, Centaurus is a busy port. It is populated mostly by humans, but other members of the Federation have immigrated over the centuries. Teraforming and colonization techniques tend to be the export of greatest value here, followed distantly by agricultural production.