The Egg

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

"The Egg" was the name of an advanced probe, designed during the 24th century by Doctor Paul Stubbs. Its purpose was to study the neutron star/red giant star system in the Kavis Alpha sector.

In 2366, "the Egg" was launched (or "laid"), by the USS Enterprise-D, to study the phenomenon of the neutron star exploding every 196 years. The experiment almost didn't happen, because of an accident involving advanced nanites that Wesley Crusher was working on at the time. (TNG: "Evolution")

A similar probe was displayed on the master systems display in main engineering aboard the Enterprise-D, it was located in the main shuttlebay. (TNG: "The Mind's Eye")

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