Object
Target Neutron Star
A compact, intensely luminous collapsed star that erupts in a sudden, blinding burst of radiation and particle flux. From the Enterprise's bridge the stellar eruption swallows the viewscreen in searing light, drives sensor readouts into spikes, and batters instrumentation at the scientists' consoles. Characters react physically and emotionally: Stubbs becomes riveted to streaming data, Data times the blast, and bridge crew brace as the star's eruption translates into an immediate operational hazard.
3 appearances
Purpose
Serves as the scientific subject of Doctor Paul Stubbs' neutronium experiment and as the environmental hazard whose eruption supplies the observational data and forces the ship to execute precise approach and safety procedures.
Significance
Functions as the episode's catalytic locus: it converts scientific wonder into moral and operational crisis, crystallizes Stubbs' obsession, raises stakes for Picard's command decisions, and triggers the ethical confrontation between pursuit of knowledge and crew safety.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used