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An Oort cloud, or cometary cloud, is a spherical cloud around a star or other celestial body, composed of tiny ice particles, dust, and other debris, situated where the star's influences are counterbalanced by the aggregate of forces external to the star.

In 2366 the USS Enterprise-D approached the outer cometary cloud of a system. (TNG: "Sins of The Father")

In 2370, to detect Maquis ships coming into the system to launch a possible attack on the Cardassian colony on Bryma, Chief O'Brien hid a dozen sensor probes in the Oort cloud of the star system, where the Maquis wouldn't be able to detect them. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part II")

The Oort cloud gets its name from Jan Hendrik Oort, a 20th century Earth astronomer who first postulated its existence in 1950.

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