Vandalayan satellite

A Vandalayan satellite was a spacebound object used by the Vandalayan people for galactic imaging. The satellite created tears in space that allowed it to take multiple images of a single object from multiple vantage points nearly instantaneously. Unfortunately, these tears could pierce the warp field of a starship to disastrous effect. (TNG short story: "What Went Through Data's Mind 0.68 Seconds Before the Satellite Hit")