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Icarus IV

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Multiple realities
(covers information from several alternate timelines)

Icarus IV was an interstellar comet in Galaxy Quadrant YX-12-114, which was a minor quadrant of the Beta Quadrant. This comet's path brought it close to the Federation-Romulan border and the Earth Outpost Stations which guarded the border in 2266. This comet, with a magnitude of seven, was an ionized mass that left a trail of frozen vapor particles. Information on this comet was recorded in the Table of Comets.

History[]

In 2266, the commander of an experimental Romulan Bird-of-Prey ordered his cloaked ship into the tail of the comet in an attempt to elude the Federation starship Enterprise, which had been pursuing them. Unfortunately for the Romulans, James Kirk, the Enterprise's commanding officer, anticipated this move, and used the Bird-of-Prey's disturbance of the comet's tail to calculate the Romulan vessel's position, and mount an attack. (TOS: "Balance of Terror"; PIC: "Disengage")

In an alternate timeline, created by Christopher Pike avoiding his injury in 2266, the USS Enterprise under the command of Pike and the USS Farragut under the command of James T. Kirk attempted a similar tactic to expose the Bird-of-Prey, but utilizing a pincer maneuver instead. However, upon clearing the comet, the Bird-of-Prey was not detected, instead appearing behind the Farragut, destroying it. (SNW: "A Quality of Mercy")

Stellar cartography[]

In 2401, the location of Icarus IV was labeled on a star chart used aboard the SS Eleos XII. (PIC: "The Next Generation", "Disengage")

The chart from the SS Eleos XII originated in the Star Trek: Star Charts and was modified for its appearance in the episode. Dave Blass published pictures of the set on his website. The comet's path and its location were revised for the chart appearing in the film Section 31.
In the Star Trek Encyclopedia, 4th ed., vol. 1, p. 355, the authors wrote that Icarus IV was "named for the character in Greek mythology that flew too close to the sun, thus melting his wings made of wax."
In the real-world, the comet Icarus IV would be identified by astronomers as an interstellar object. This was an object that was no longer gravitationally bound to a star and left its system to wander through space.

See also[]

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