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[[Image:Comet Burke schematic.jpg|200px|thumb|The Burke Comet.]]
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[[File:Archers Comet.jpg|thumb|[[Archer's Comet]]]]
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{{aquote|Behold, a marvel in the darkness.|[[Unnamed Romulans (23rd century)#Commander (2266)|Romulan Commander]]|2266|Balance of Terror}}
A celestial body, usually [[orbit]]ing a [[star]], having a head consisting of a solid nucleus surrounded by a nebulous coma. When close to its star, a curved vapor tail emanates from the coma.
 
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A '''comet''' is a [[astronomical objects|celestial body]], usually [[orbit]]ing a [[star]], composed of rock and [[ice]]. If a comet approaches close enough to a star, the increased heat causes it shed [[mass]] away from the star, creating a coma and/or "tail".
   
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One of the best known comets in the [[Sol system]] is [[Halley's Comet]]. ({{TNG|Time's Arrow}}; {{VOY|Future's End}})
The nucleus of a comet is composed mainly of rocks and ice. As a comet grows older, it sheds more and more of its mass, eventually becoming a "dead" comet. The coma of a comet, which grows significantly as the comet approaches its star, are frozen molecules of, typically, [[carbon]], [[nitrogen]], [[oxygen]], [[ammonia]], [[methane]], and even [[water]].
 
   
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In [[June]] [[2151]], the Earth [[starship]] {{EnterpriseNX}} discovered the largest comet yet observed by [[Human]]s, with a diameter of 82.6 [[kilometer]]s. It was named [[Archer's Comet]] for ''Enterprise''{{'}}s [[captain]], [[Jonathan Archer]]. ({{ENT|Breaking the Ice}})
As a comet makes its closest approach to the star it orbits, the heat energy from the star melts ice and debris from the comet, creating the tail. There are actually two tails, a gas tail and a dust tail, both caused by the star's solar wind.
 
   
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[[File:Comet Burke.jpg|thumb|[[Burke (comet)|Comet Burke]] on approach to Mars]]
Many comets originate in the [[Oort cloud]], a collection of ice, dust, and other debris particles at the boundary of a star's influence. Other comets are known to have come from the Kuiper Belt.
 
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In the [[22nd century]], many comets in the [[Sol system]] were diverted to [[Mars]] by the [[verteron array]] for the Martian [[terraforming]] project. At one point, fourteen comets were scheduled to impact with Mars in a thirty-[[month]] span, starting with the arrival of [[Burke (comet)|comet Burke]] in [[January]] of [[2155]]. ({{ENT|Terra Prime}})
   
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The comet [[Icarus IV]] in the [[Romulan Neutral Zone]] was the locus for part of the [[Neutral Zone Incursion|battle]] between the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701}} and a [[Romulan Bird-of-Prey (23rd century)|Romulan Bird-of-Prey]] in [[2266]]. ({{TOS|Balance of Terror}})
Famous [[Sol]]-based comets:
 
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{| border=2 cellspacing=0
 
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The {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D|-D}} tracked a [[rogue comet]] through [[Sector 1156]] in [[2370]]. Its core, composed largely of [[fortanium]], proved to be a [[D'Arsay]] [[D'Arsay archive|cultural archive]], built over [[Millions of years ago|87 million years previous]]. ({{TNG|Masks}})
! Comet
 
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! Period (Yrs)
 
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[[Commander]] [[Benjamin Sisko]] compared his name with a comet who will blaze across the [[star]]s long after [[Kira Nerys|Kira]]'s petty treacheries will be forgotten while under the influence of the [[Saltah'na energy sphere]]s. ({{DS9|Dramatis Personae}})
! Discovered
 
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|-
 
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In [[2371]], the [[wormhole relay station]] experiment conducted by the {{USS|Defiant|2370}} in the [[Gamma Quadrant]] diverted a comet laden with [[silithium]] towards the [[Bajoran wormhole]]. Some interpreted this comet as the "[[Sword of Stars]]", an element in [[Trakor's Third Prophecy]]. ({{DS9|Destiny}})
! [[Archer's Comet|Archer]]
 
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| N/A
 
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In [[2373]], the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-E|-E}} detected a class-2 comet while on patrol in the [[Romulan Neutral Zone]]. ({{film|8}})
| [[2151]]
 
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|-
 
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In late [[2374]], [[Jadzia Dax]] ran a [[spectral scan]] on a comet that was passing through the [[Denorios belt]]. She had waited three weeks for it to enter the belt. ({{DS9|Time's Orphan}})
! Borrelly
 
  +
| 6.68
 
  +
In [[2377]], [[Harry Kim]], [[Seven of Nine]], and [[The Doctor]] undertook a mission to collect cometary [[biology|bio-matter]], so that the Doctor could create new [[medicine]]s. ({{VOY|Body and Soul}})
| [[1904]]
 
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|-
 
 
{{bginfo|In the Sol system, many comets originate from the [[Oort cloud]], a collection of ice, dust, and other debris [[particle]]s that marks the outer boundary of the system. Other comets are known to come from the [[Kuiper belt]].}}
! Brorsen-Metcalf
 
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| 70.6
 
  +
== See also ==
| 1847
 
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*[[:Category:Comets|List of comets]]
|-
 
! [[Burke (comet)|Burke]]
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*[[Dark matter proto-comet]]
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*[[Rogue comet]]
| ?
 
  +
| ?
 
  +
== External links ==
|-
 
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* {{NCwiki}}
! d'Arrest
 
  +
* {{wikipedia}}
| 6.38
 
| 1851
 
|-
 
! Encke
 
| 3.31
 
| 1786
 
|-
 
! Giacobini-Zinner
 
| 6.59
 
| [[1900]]
 
|-
 
! Hale-Bopp
 
| 4000
 
| [[1995]]
 
|-
 
! [[Halley's Comet|Halley]]
 
| 76.09
 
| 1759
 
|-
 
! Hyakutake
 
| 30K+
 
| [[1996]]
 
|-
 
! Ikeya-Seki
 
| 880
 
| [[1965]]
 
|-
 
! Shoemaker-Levy 9
 
| N/A
 
| [[1993]]
 
|-
 
! Swift-Tuttle
 
| 120
 
| 1862
 
|-
 
! Temple 1
 
| 5.51
 
| 1867
 
|-
 
! Temple 2
 
| 5.29
 
| 1873
 
|-
 
! Temple-Tuttle
 
| 32.93
 
| 1873
 
|-
 
! Wild 2
 
| 1.58
 
| [[1978]]
 
|-
 
|}
 
   
{{pna-cite}}
 
{{pna-incomplete}}
 
 
[[de:Komet]]
 
[[de:Komet]]
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[[nl:Komeet]]
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[[Category:Astronomical objects]]

Revision as of 22:20, 16 September 2013

File:Archers Comet.jpg

Archer's Comet

"Behold, a marvel in the darkness."

A comet is a celestial body, usually orbiting a star, composed of rock and ice. If a comet approaches close enough to a star, the increased heat causes it shed mass away from the star, creating a coma and/or "tail".

One of the best known comets in the Sol system is Halley's Comet. (TNG: "Time's Arrow"; VOY: "Future's End")

In June 2151, the Earth starship Enterprise NX-01 discovered the largest comet yet observed by Humans, with a diameter of 82.6 kilometers. It was named Archer's Comet for Enterprise's captain, Jonathan Archer. (ENT: "Breaking the Ice")

Comet Burke

Comet Burke on approach to Mars

In the 22nd century, many comets in the Sol system were diverted to Mars by the verteron array for the Martian terraforming project. At one point, fourteen comets were scheduled to impact with Mars in a thirty-month span, starting with the arrival of comet Burke in January of 2155. (ENT: "Terra Prime")

The comet Icarus IV in the Romulan Neutral Zone was the locus for part of the battle between the USS Enterprise and a Romulan Bird-of-Prey in 2266. (TOS: "Balance of Terror")

The USS Enterprise-D tracked a rogue comet through Sector 1156 in 2370. Its core, composed largely of fortanium, proved to be a D'Arsay cultural archive, built over 87 million years previous. (TNG: "Masks")

Commander Benjamin Sisko compared his name with a comet who will blaze across the stars long after Kira's petty treacheries will be forgotten while under the influence of the Saltah'na energy spheres. (DS9: "Dramatis Personae")

In 2371, the wormhole relay station experiment conducted by the USS Defiant in the Gamma Quadrant diverted a comet laden with silithium towards the Bajoran wormhole. Some interpreted this comet as the "Sword of Stars", an element in Trakor's Third Prophecy. (DS9: "Destiny")

In 2373, the USS Enterprise-E detected a class-2 comet while on patrol in the Romulan Neutral Zone. (Star Trek: First Contact)

In late 2374, Jadzia Dax ran a spectral scan on a comet that was passing through the Denorios belt. She had waited three weeks for it to enter the belt. (DS9: "Time's Orphan")

In 2377, Harry Kim, Seven of Nine, and The Doctor undertook a mission to collect cometary bio-matter, so that the Doctor could create new medicines. (VOY: "Body and Soul")

In the Sol system, many comets originate from the Oort cloud, a collection of ice, dust, and other debris particles that marks the outer boundary of the system. Other comets are known to come from the Kuiper belt.

See also

External links