Starburst is a means used by Leviathan biomechanoids to instantly travel great distances in space. It is the only natural defensive mechanism available to their species.
A Leviathan may Starburst once they have gathered sufficient energy reserves, which can be siphoned through the Starburst Chamber. The Leviathan opens a gateway in space-time that allows the ship to journey through one-dimensional space, emerging at a random point back into the Materium. Any smaller ships caught within the Leviathan's biomagnetic field will travel through this gateway as well.
Because Starbursts cannot truly be navigated, and require a great deal of energy, they are not ideal for short distances and are generally used to escape danger. Without knowing the exact vector of the Leviathan at the exact moment of Starburst, it is virtually impossible to trace a Starburst -- and even with knowledge of the vector, one can never know exactly how far the Starburst may have taken the ship.
Starbursts are not without risks. Although Starburst is not dangerous for biological lifeforms, lower lifeforms can become disoriented or may experience vertigo or sensory overload. The risk of these symptoms is increased the longer the vessel remains in Starburst.
The transition both into and out of Starburst is incredibly volatile and delicate. If the Starburst is interrupted, there is tremendous risk that the Leviathan may become trapped within a dimensional schism -- not fully in the Materium, and yet not fully in one-dimensional space. Starbursts become even more risky in areas of space where space-time is disrupted -- such as the event horizon of a black hole or in the presence of an open wormhole.
Finally, a Leviathan entering into Starburst while in a confined area could be extremely destructive -- both to the area in which the Leviathan is confined, as well as to the Leviathan itself. Such an occurrence would likely prove fatal to the biomechanical ship.
Source[]
Starburst is derived from Farscape. For canon information, please visit the Farscape Encyclopedia Project.