[[File:Archers Comet.jpg|thumb|The nucleus of Archer's Comet]]
[[File:Archers Comet.jpg|thumb|The nucleus of Archer's Comet]]
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'''Archer's Comet''' was a [[comet]] {{dis|discovery|science|discovered}} by {{EnterpriseNX}} in [[2151]]. With a [[diameter]] of 82.6 [[kilometer]]s, the comet was the largest ever observed by [[Human]]s or [[Vulcan]]s.
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'''Archer's Comet''' was a [[comet]] {{dis|discovery|science|discovered}} by {{EnterpriseNX}} in [[2151]]. With a [[diameter]] of 82.6 [[kilometer]]s, the comet was the largest ever observed by [[Human]]s or [[Vulcan]]s. It was named after {{dis|Captain|rank}} [[Jonathan Archer]], following confirmation that it was not listed in the [[Vulcan database]].
{{bginfo|As a comparison, optimistic estimates place the diameter of the nucleus of {{w|Hale-Bopp}} at 60 ± 20 kilometers.}}
{{bginfo|As a comparison, optimistic estimates place the diameter of the nucleus of {{w|Hale-Bopp}} at 60 ± 20 kilometers.}}
[[File:Archers Comet approached by Enterprise.jpg|thumb|left|''Enterprise'' passes the tail of Archer's Comet]]
[[File:Archers Comet approached by Enterprise.jpg|thumb|left|''Enterprise'' passes the tail of Archer's Comet]]
During the "comet walk," the drilling team experienced several setbacks, including a broken drill bit due to a layer of magnesite, a rotationalaxis shift resulting in the dawn approaching sooner than expected causing the temperature to increase by several hundred degrees, and the Shuttlepod 1 falling into a chasm due to melting ice. Enterprise attempted to use the grappler and pull the shuttlepod to safety. However, a secure hold could not be obtained. The drilling team was eventually rescued by the Vulcan starshipTi'Murunder command of Captain Vanik. (ENT: "Breaking the Ice")
In the writers' second draft script of "Breaking the Ice", this comet was instead named "Comet Archer" and was said to have a diameter of forty-eight point six kilometers. It was described as having been traveling through space for the past ten billion years and be scheduled to orbit within fifty kilometers of its sun in twenty-seven days since its discovery by Enterprise. Also, it was theorized that, during the past ten billion years, the comet had orbited around its sun only a few times. In the first draft script of "Fortunate Son", Archer mentioned that the scans of the comet didn't do justice to actually seeing the comet in person, and Admiral Forrest wrily answered he had been told the comet would be visible from Earth in approximately ten thousand years.
