A sensor pod was a module that could be connected to the dorsal surface of a starship to extend a starship's sensor capability.
Several Federation starship designs employed this feature, such as the Danube-class runabout, which was fitted with sensor pods for specific types of missions. (DS9: "Past Prologue")
Other Federation starships with sensor pods of various designs include Miranda-class starships, with two large sensor pods located port and starboard, and Soyuz-class starships, with large sensor pods that resembled large outboard weapons. (TNG: "Cause And Effect"; DS9: "Emissary")
It has been theorized that the circular pod used on the Nebula-class starship USS Phoenix may have also been a type of sensor pod.
