Burke

Burke was the designation of a comet orbiting Sol until the mid-22nd century.

Verteron pulses from the Martian verteron array altered Burke's course in 2147, causing it to fall toward Mars for use in the Martian terraforming project. Nearing the end of its' journey the comet's nucleus measured 15 miles across, surrounded by a 100,000 mile coma. Burke impacted on Mars' northern polar icecap on a January dawn in 2155.

Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise (NX-01) used Burke as cover for his approach to Mars, to avoid detection by John Frederick Paxton of the Terra Prime movement. Ensign Travis Mayweather flew the party's shuttlepod in treacherous conditions within the comet's tail, behind the nucleus, until breaking away just before the comet's planet-strike. (ENT: "Terra Prime")