Continuity mistake: When Miramanee and her companion first see Kirk at the obelisk, the two women are standing, holding their fruit baskets, just inches from each other. In the very next, reverse angle shot, they're suddenly several feet apart. (00:09:10)
Continuity mistake: When Spock orders the phasers to fire, they shoot outward from the ship at an angle from each other, but when they hit the asteroid they converge at a single point. (00:24:00)
Continuity mistake: When the Enterprise is trying to push away the asteroid using the deflector, a quick shot of Uhura is shown from stock footage of "And the Children Shall Lead," but she is not in the rest of the episode.
Chosen answer: If they're in orbit, they're being pulled along by the planet's gravity well, therefore, impulse engines would only be used for minor corrections and would be "on standby" while in orbit, but not active. (Like keeping your car idling without revving the engine and creating plumes of exhaust).
Captain Defenestrator
Thank you for the info.
Movie Nut