Methane (CH4) was a substance, a chemical compound with a molecular structure containing one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. At certain pressures and temperatures, this can exist as a liquid — but to many humanoids who live in class M environments this is a flammable gas.
History and specifics
Titan, a moon of Saturn, has methane lakes on its surface. (TOS - Starfleet Academy novel: The Gemini Agent)
The Bajoran moon of Syladdo has a methane sea. (DS9 - Millennium novel: The War of the Prophets)
One of the species native to the Majoris Congeries breathed methane. (TOS novel: The Wounded Sky)
In the year 2365, a sensor scan by the Federation starship USS Enterprise-D registered methane comprising 23% of the atmosphere of the planet Theta VIII. (TNG episode: "The Royale")
Borg drones and technology apparently prefer environs containing methane, as it is one of the compounds found in the preferred Borg atmosphere, along with fluorine and carbon monoxide. (TNG movie: First Contact)
In an alternate timeline where the Borg were able to assimilate entire star systems in the Alpha Quadrant, increasing levels of methane were noted in the atmospheres of Alpha Centauri and Andor while the Borg adapted their worlds. (ST novel: Engines of Destiny)
Appendices
References
External links
- Methane article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Methane article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.