Month: September 2021

Celebration of Early Astronomy 4

CMDR Kezika

Dates: January 08, 2022 to March 05, 2022

Planned Map (Still subject to alterations) (click for full size):
Distance: 39,335.54 Ly

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“The early 2000s, they were often the speculative setting of early science fiction works. Early imaginings of interstellar travel, first contact with aliens, apocalypses, pandemics, you name it, there was probably a movie or book set in the early 21st century of it. While humanity may not have invented interstellar travel by 2020 as many novels and films purported, they still discovered plenty gems of our galaxy by then.

Lucky for us in 3308 we do have interstellar travel and can visit these gems that humans on Earth in the early 21st century could only dream of visiting. So that is just what we will be setting out to do. This expedition will visit many of the noteworthy celestial objects discovered by the early 21st century, some of which even still are considered noteworthy even today in 3308.

We will be setting off from our faction’s home system Keltim, also known as Gliese 149 to the humans of 2020. From there we will be travelling our route clockwise. Many of the sights on this expedition revisit those featured on earlier CEA expeditions for those that weren’t on those.

— Patron Kezika T. Wylair

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Please fill out a sign-up form if you’re coming along!
Note: even if you’re not sure yet all your details, the form will give you an edit link once you submit so that you can come back and edit your submission in the future with any changes you make. Just make sure to save your link!

Sign-up form: https://theexpedition.info/Register
Roster: https://theexpedition.info/Roster
EDSM Page: https://theexpedition.info/EDSM

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Summary and Information

Dates: January 08, 2022 to March 05, 2022
Waypoint Count: 35
Distance: 39,335.54 Ly
Expedition Discord: https://theexpedition.info/Discord

Odyssey Compatibility Notes: With Horizons and Odyssey at this time currently split and some people not having Odyssey we will do basecamps in Horizons if needed. There is a private question on the registration form regarding if you have Odyssey or not. When we announce basecamps the bot in our server will make a post that you can RSVP to if you plan on coming. We will cross-reference the attendee list with the Roster to make the determination of if the basecamp needs otbe help in Horizons or if only Odyssey compatible players are attending that particular one.

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Waypoints

Start: Keltim
End: T Tauri

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Current Waypoint List (each leg is 2 weeks)
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Leg 1

  • Keltim (GL 149)
  • TRAPPIST-1
  • Betelgeuse
  • Mintaka
  • Alnitak
  • Rigel
  • PMD2009 48 (Orion Nebula)
  • Epsilon Orionis
  • VY Canis Majoris
  • ALS 299 (Thor’s Helmet Nebula)
  • CXOU J061705.3+222127 (Jellyfish Nebula)
  • Crab Pulsar (Crab Nebula)

Leg 2

  • BD+46 1067
  • Hypoae Ain MO-I D9-37 (Heart & Soul Nebulae)
  • RS Persei
  • Bubble Sector LX-T B3-1 (Bubble Nebula)

Leg 3

  • Mu Cephei
  • KY Cygni
  • BD+41 4004 (NGC 7027)
  • S171 43 (NGC 7822)
  • Sadr
  • Veil West Sector DL-Y D68 (Veil West Nebula)

Leg 4

  • HIP 102082
  • CoRoT-9 (CoRoT-9b)
  • 46 Upsilon Sagittarii
  • Snake Sector PD-S B4-1 (Snake Nebula)
  • PSR J1856-3754 (Coronet Pulsar)
  • IC 4604 Sector FB-X c1-17 (Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex)
  • Antares
  • Shapley 1 (Fine Ring Nebula)
  • HIP 62270 (Coalsack Nebula)
  • Alcyone (The Pleiades)
  • GMM2008 22 (NGC 1333)
  • 40 o Persei
  • T Tauri (Hind Nebula)

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Each Leg will additionally have an announcement post when they start detailing any optionals they may have added to them. Optional waypoints are subject to be added during the expedition up until the start of the leg.

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Register Now
See Roster
Join Discord
EDSM Page

CEA 3 Leg 7

CMDR Kezika

This is the final leg of the Celebration of Early Astronomy 3 expedition. At the end we shall have an extended basecamp end party in T Tauri inside the beautiful Hind Planetary Nebula.

Dates

Start Date: September 18, 2021
End Date: October 2, 2021
Note: EDSM Tracking will be active for stragglers until November 3, 2021

Distances

Basecamp Line: 16,089.86 Ly
Main Waypoints: 16,122.92 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 16,760.77 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: T Tauri

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Cl Pismis 24 1
    • Hen 2-215
    • T Tauri

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Cl Pismis 24 1
    • Cl Pismis 24 1, is a binary system in the Pismis cluster within the NGC 6357 nebula. It was originally thought to be the most massive and luminous known star at an estimated 200 to 300 solar masses. However, later observations and scientific advancements allowed for it to be resolved that it was two stars orbiting each other, each still among the most massive and luminous known stars in existence respectively.

      Further observations since the in-game galaxy was made in 2013 also suggest that one of the stars may be a very compact binary of it’s own, but we have so far been unable to conclusively determine that.
    • SIMBAD Link
  • Map Reference: Hen 2-215
    • POI: Cheerio Nebula
    • NGC 6337, also known as the Cheerio Nebula is a toroidal planetary nebula in the Scorpius constellation. It appears as a ring shaped transparent nebula. There is convincing evidence that a binary nucleus exists at the center of the planetary nebula.
  • Map Reference: T Tauri
    • POI 1: T Tauri
    • POI 2: Hind Variable Nebula
    • T Tauri is a variable star in the Taurus constellation, and the prototypical star of the T Tauri class of variable stars. It was discovered in October 1852 by John Russel Hind, after which it’s planetary nebula, the Hind Variable Nebula was also named. — Strangely enough despite being the prototype star of the T Tauri classe of stars, the in-game representation does not have them as T Tauri stars.

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • OGLE-05-071L
    • MOA-2009-BLG-266L
    • Cl Pismis 24 1
    • Cl Pismis 17
    • Hen 2-215
    • CDP-41 7712
    • HR 6265
    • Shapley 1
    • Antares
    • T Tauri

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: OGLE-05-071L
    • AKA: OGLE-2005-BLG-071Lb
    • OGLE-2005-BLG-071Lb is an exoplanet discovered by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment in 2005 using gravitational microlensing. It is believed to have about 3.5 times the mass of Jupiter and orbit roughly 3.6 AU from the star. However another model predicts a slightly lower mass of 3.3 times Jupiter mass and an orbit of 2.1 AU and is considered only slightly less likely of a match.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: MOA-2009-BLG-266L
    • POI: MOA-2009-BLG-266Lb
    • MOA-2009-BLG-266Lb is an exoplanet discovered in 2010 using gravitational microlensing. It is believed to have a mass of roughly a quarter of Jupiter’s mass, and orbits at a range of about 3.2 AU from its parent star.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Cl Pismis 17
    • This system is also part of the Pismis cluster, it is the one we used for our basecamp on CEA 1 on planet “7 B A” at Bio Site 1. There are biologicals here to possibly check out as well for those interested.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: CDP-41 7712
    • AKA: Caldwell 76, NGC 6231
    • Caldwell 76, also known as NGC 6231 is an open cluster in the southern sky. It is a swath of young bluish stars in the constellation Scorpius
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HR 6265
    • HR 6265, commonly known as HD 152270 is a Wolf-Rayet star with a white dwarf companion in the NGC 6231 open cluster.
  • Map Reference: Shapley 1
    • POI: Fine Ring Nebula
    • Shapley 1 was discovered in 1936 by Harlow Shapley, it is an annular planetary nebula viewed from Earth almost perfectly perpindicular. In reality it is determined that the central star is a white dwarf, however in-game it is represented by a Wolf-Rayet. This may be due to new data since the in-game galaxy was created.
  • Map Reference: Antares
    • The 15th brightest star in the night sky and the brightest star in the Scorpius constellation. It is often referred to as The Heart of the Scorpion because of its distinct red hue when viewed with the naked eye.

      It is a red supergiant and among the largest known stars. It also has a companion star Antares B which is a typical B-class star
    • Note: Previously this system would jump you into the “B” star for whatever reason. Not sure if this is still the case in Odyssey.

CEA3 Leg 6

CMDR KazukoHimura

On this leg we will pass by Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy as we continue our trip back towards the populated bubble.

Dates

Start Date: September 4, 2021
End Date: September 18, 2021

Distances

Basecamp Line: 12,595.07 Ly
Main Waypoints: 12,920.68 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 21,807.38 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: HD 157693

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Sagittarius A*
    • Great Annihilator
    • IGR J17285-2922
    • HD 157693

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Sagittarius A*
    • Sagittarius A* is the Supermassive Black Hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, the type of black hole generally accepted to be at the center of most, if not all spiral and elliptical galaxies. Observations of stars, most notably S2 that orbit around Sagittarius A* have been used to show the presence of a supermassive black hole at that location. S2’s highly eccentric orbit and proximity to Sagittarius A* has been instrumental for scientists use in determining the location and mass of Sagittarius A. At it’s closest to Sagittarius A S2 was recorded to travel at a speed of 7650 km/s, or 2.55% the speed of light.

      SIMBAD Link for S2: http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=%5BEG97%5D+S2
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Great Annihilator
    • Large black hole pair in the galactic center, one of the brightest gamma ray sources found in the Milky Way, producing massive amounts of photon pairs at 511 keV, which usually indicates the annihilation of an electron-positron pair. Additionally it emits high-velocity synchrotron radiation in the radio spectrum for an estimated three lightyears from it.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: IGR J17285-2922
    • A known X-Ray binary in the galactic center that exhibited two outbursts in 2003 and 2010 and went into outburst again in 2019. It has a fairly low luminosity for an X-ray binary however, suggesting that the donor star could be “hydrogen poor.”
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HD 157693
    • A blue-white supergiant star in the direction of the galactic center. Fairly luminous, albeit just under the limit for naked eye visibility.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Sagittarius A*
    • Stuemeae FG-Y d7561
    • Wepue AA-Z e1744
    • Great Annihilator
    • Hypiae Aurb AA-A G588
    • IGR J17285-2922
    • HD 157693

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Stuemeae FG-Y d7561
    • POI: Explorer’s Anchorage
    • Explorer’s Anchorage is a station located in this system just next door to Sagittarius A*
  • Map Reference: Wepue AA-Z e1744
    • POI: (NBORO) Black Hole Only Nebula
    • This is a system inside of a nebula with the only star being a black hole. This means the only source of light in the system is from the reflection of the nebula. For Odyssey players there are atmospheric planets within the system. Due to the nature of the system, the atmospheres end up being bands of black on the horizon, because even being as thin as they are, they are enough that they can block the small pittance of light coming from the nebula’s reflection if passing through at enough of an angle, which makes for an interesting sight to behold.
  • Map Reference: Hypiae Aurb AA-A G588
    • POI: (NBORO) Hypiae Aurb AA-A G588 A 1
    • Warning, Extreme Gravity This planet is currently the recordholder for the highest Gs of a landable planet at 11.6g. Attempt landing at your own risk.