Starfield shots similar to Star Trek

There are several shots of spaceships traveling through space which use a technique that I had thought, until now, originated with the Star Trek pilot of 1964.

This technique involves photographing several starfields moving past the camera, one at a time, which are then matted together at varying speeds. The resulting effect creates a realistic 3D effect, where the spaceship appears to move past different stars at varying rates, presumably because those stars are at different distances.

The effect is very convincing. It is seen in Star Trek, "The Cage," in the opening scene as the Enterprise moves through space and the camera zooms in on the bridge of the ship.

I recall reading something to the effect that a bigshot at NBC was attracted to the show because the effects made him feel as if he was really moving through space.

I'd always figured the technique was devised by someone on the Trek production team, but now I wonder if someone there either participated in making "Phantom Planet" or at the very least, saw the earlier effort. Whatever the case, the technique showcases the innovation that was used so well in the pre-CGI days.

"He was running around like a rooster in a barnyard full of ducks."--Pat Novak