Murasaki 312 in 2267.
Murasaki 312 was a quasar-like nebula cloud and electromagnetic anomaly located within Federation space.
History and specifics
By 2267, it had ionized an entire sector and four star systems, including the Beta Tauri system. An edge of the phenomenon was located about 130 light years from Earth. (ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation; TOS episode: "The Galileo Seven")
On at least one format of star chart, an edge of this phenomena was in the general vicinity of Alpha Caranae. (TNG episode: "Yesterday's Enterprise", TNG reference: The Continuing Mission)
In 2267, the USS Enterprise stopped off at the Murasaki quasar to investigate the anomaly per standing orders. However, as the Enterprise was due to deliver medical supplies to Makus III, they had little time to do so. When the shuttlecraft Galileo became lost near the quasar it was a race against time to find them. Just as they were forced to leave the area the Enterprise detected the Galileo in orbit around Beta Tauri's second planet. (TOS episode: "The Galileo Seven")
In 2270 the Klingon Commander Kor decided to make use of the properties of the Murasaki 312 effect to ambush Federation civilian and Starfleet starships by putting a number of distress beacons in orbit around Taurus II to lure ships in and then ambush them with the task force under his command.
A number of merchant ships as well as a Starfleet science vessel reacted to the distress signals, the last being shot down over Taurus II by one of Kor's ships.
Two starships were dispatched by Starfleet Command to investigate what happened to the missing vessels: the USS Enterprise and a starship under command by captain Isaac Garrett. After an away team led by captain Garrett's First Officer rescued the survivors of the science vessel on Taurus II the Klingon distress beacons were destroyed and his ship and the USS Enterprise confronted Kor and his task force, driving the Klingons off. (Star Trek Online Agents of Yesterday)
In 2367, the USS Enterprise-D had conducted a long-range survey of Murasaki 312 whilst awaiting the transfer of Vulcan Ambassador T'Pel from the USS Zhukov. (TNG episode: "Data's Day")
Alternate realities
Murasaki 312 shown on a tactical situation monitor image.
On a 24th century viewscreen display of a tactical situation monitor in an alternate timeline where the Klingon Empire was at war with the United Federation of Planets in the year 2366, Murasaki 312 was listed on a star chart showing Klingon allied forces in relation to Federation positions. (TNG episode: "Yesterday's Enterprise", TNG reference: The Continuing Mission)
Appendices
External link
- Murasaki 312 article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.