Month: January 2022

CEA 4 Leg 2

CMDR Kezika

We are now launching into our second of 4 legs for Celebration of Early Astronomy 4! This leg doesn’t have too many main waypoints, but there is still plenty to explore in and around each of the places represented by the main waypoints.

Additionally there are some optional waypoints to visit for those interested in the lore of the game’s universe, particularly that of the shadowy group known as “The Club.”

Dates

Start Date: January 22, 2022
End Date: February 5, 2022

Distances

Basecamp Line: 8,332.40 Ly
Main Waypoints: 10,657.41 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 18,186.08 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: Bubble Sector LX-T B3-1

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • BD+46 1067
    • Hypoae Ain MO-I D9-37
    • RS Persei
    • Bubble Sector LX-T B3-1

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: BD+46 1067
    • POI: IC 2149
    • IC 2149 is a planetary nebula around the star BD+46 1067, discovered by Williamina Felming in 1906. It is located in the sky from Earth within the Auriga constellation. It is hypothesized that the plantery nebula that our own sun will eventually make will be very similar to this particular one. If you are having trouble leaving this waypoint, you can route to IC 2149 Sector DL-Y d0, which is a neutron star. You can route to the next waypoint from there. Note that you may need Jumponium for this.
  • SIMBAD Link
  • Map Reference: Hypoae Ain MO-I D9-37
    • POI: Heart & Soul Nebulae
    • This is a pair of nebulae very close to each other. First is the Heart Nebula, aka IC 1805. An emission nebula in the Persues Arm of the Mily Way, and in the Cossiopeia constellation of the sky. Within the nebula is a bright open cluster of stars known as Collinder 26 and contains a few bright stars nearly 50 times the mass of our sun, as well as many more dim stars. The size of the nebula in the night sky is nearly 2 degrees of arc, making it nearly four times the size in the night sky as the full moon.

      The second nebula is the Soul Nebula, also known as Westerhout 5. It is also an emission nebula like the Heart Nebula. Near the nebula in the night sky can also be seen the galaxies Maffei 1 and Maffei 2 of the Maffei Group. Soul Nebula is one of the most studied nebula in the field of star formation, due to it’s angle to us and ease of seeing the gas cavities and stellar formation areas allowing sceintists to easily see how gas cavities formed from the stellar winds of a star’s birth compress gasses together from other cavities leading to a chain reaction of stellar formation.

      Multiple SIMBAD Links are relevant to this waypoint:
      • Heart Nebula: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=Heart+Nebula
      • Soul Nebula: http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=Sh+2-199
      • Collinder 26: http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=Collinder+26
      • Maffei Group: http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=Maffei+Group
    • SIMBAD Link
  • Map Reference: RS Persei
    • Red Supergiant located in the Double Cluster (Caldwell 14) in the Perseus constellation. In the game galaxy version it is orbited by a landable planet so close that you can fuel scoop while in orbital flight.

      There is a bountiful count of other real world celestial objects nearby as well.
    • SIMBAD Link
  • Map Reference: Bubble Sector LX-T B3-1
    • POI: Bubble Nebula
    • The Bubble Nebula, also known as NGC 7635 is an emission nebula in the Cassiopeia region of the sky. It is formed from stellar wind from the central star BD+60 2522. (For whatever reason however in the in-game galaxy it placed that star nearly 5,000 Ly away from the bubble nebula)

      While BD+60 2522 is around two million years old, the Bubble Nebula is only about 40,000 years old. It is hypothesised that the bubble formed as a shock front where stellar wind meets interstellar material at supersonic speeds as the wind from the star travels outwards at between 1,800 to 2,500 kilometers per second.

      Multiple SIMBAD links are relevant to this waypoint:
      • Bubble Nebula: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=Bubble+Nebula
      • BD+60 2522: http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=BD%2B60+2522

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • BD+46 1067
    • Hypoae Ain MO-I D9-37
    • RS Persei
    • Eafots RA-G B11-0
    • Eafots LZ-H B10-0
    • Eafots EU-R C4-1
    • Eafots GL-Y E2
    • Syreadiae JX-F c0
    • Bubble Sector LX-T B3-1

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Eafots RA-G B11-0
    • Body: 3
    • AKA: Formidine Rift Gamma Settlement
    • One of four lore related abandoned settlements out in the Formidine Rift region related to the lore of The Club. Located on Planet 3.

      A badge is able to be unlocked for users of EDSM by visiting any system within the “Eafots” sector, which this system would count for.
  • Map Reference: Eafots LZ-H B10-0
    • Body: D 1
    • POI: Formidine Rift Beta Settlement
    • One of four lore related abandoned settlements out in the Formidine Rift region related to the lore of The Club.

      A badge is able to be unlocked for users of EDSM by visiting any system within the “Eafots” sector, which this system would count for.
  • Map Reference: Eafots EU-R C4-1
    • Body: C 2
    • POI: Formidine Rift Alpha Settlement
    • One of four lore related abandoned settlements out in the Formidine Rift region related to the lore of The Club.

      A badge is able to be unlocked for users of EDSM by visiting any system within the “Eafots” sector, which this system would count for.
  • Map Reference: Eafots GL-Y E2
    • Body: 6
    • POI: Formidine Rift Delta Settlement
    • One of four lore related abandoned settlements out in the Formidine Rift region related to the lore of The Club.

      A badge is able to be unlocked for users of EDSM by visiting any system within the “Eafots” sector, which this system would count for.
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Syreadiae JX-F c0
    • POI: The Zurara
    • The Zurara is a lore related abandoned megaship located out here in the Formidine Rift. This can be a bit of a detour from the main leg but if it is of interest to you it’s worth the trip while you’re already in the area. It is related to the lore of the shadowy “The Club.”

      Stars become rather sparse along the route from Heart & Soul Nebulae to this system, so make sure you have adequate jump range to make the journey.

CEA 4 Leg 1

CMDR Kezika

Welcome to the first leg of our fourth expedition! In this leg we will be beginning to travel southward through the Orion Nebula and Barnard’s Loop regions and finishing up at the Crab Nebula.

Dates

Start Date: January 8, 2022
End Date: January 22, 2022

Distances

Basecamp Line: 6,949.14 Ly
Main Waypoints: 10,636.55 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 11,710.95 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: Crab Pulsar

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Keltim
    • TRAPPIST-1
    • Betelgeuse
    • Mintaka
    • Alnitak
    • Rigel
    • PMD2009 48
    • Epsilon Orionis
    • VY Canis Majoris
    • ALS 299
    • CXOU J061705.3+222127
    • Crab Pulsar

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Keltim
    • POI: GL 149
    • Our faction’s home system, Keltim is also the real binary star pair known as GL 149, containing the stars CD-24 1826 and WT 1402.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: TRAPPIST-1
    • The system where the real world and the Elite: Dangerous procedurally generated galaxy collided with each other. In early 2017 astronomers discovered seven approximately Earth-sized rocky exoplanets in orbit of Trappist-1. Three of which were within the habitable zone of this ultra-cool red dwarf star roughly 39.5 light years from Earth. Players of Elite: Dangerous quickly realized that there was a system in roughly the correct location called Core Sys Sector XU-P A5-0 at 42 Ly from Sol that happened to be a brown dwarf, not much colder than the red dwarf named Trappist-1 with seven terrestrial worlds around it. The system was officially tweaked to be a red dwarf and renamed to Trappist-1 for the 2.3 update.
  • Map Reference: Betelgeuse
    • Ninth brightest star in the night sky, and second brightest in the constellation Orion. Red supergiant of spectral type M1-2, one of the largest stars visible to the naked eye. This star is one of the shoulders of Orion.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Mintaka
    • The westernmost star of Orion’s Belt, a very recognizable landmark in the night sky.
  • Map Reference: Alnitak
    • The easternmost star of Orion’s Belt, a very recognizable landmark in the night sky.
      There is a POI there named “Impressive Rings” on one of the other stars in the system.
    • SIMBAD Link
  • Map Reference: Rigel
    • Rigel is the brightest star in the constellation Orion. It is expected to eventually end in supernova. Additionally it has two known companions Rigel B and Rigel C. However in-game it only seems to have Rigel B.
  • Map Reference: PMD2009 48
    • POI: Orion Nebula
    • The Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula situated south of Orion’s Belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae in the night sky and is visible to the naked eye. It is also the closest region of massive star formation to our solar system. One of the most photographed objects in the night sky, and subject of intense study.

      For those looking to dock to repair, refuel, and/or sell exploration data, there is also a starport located here in the PMD2009 48 system called the “Orion Nebula Tourist Center.”

      Three SIMBAD Strasbourg links are relevant to this waypoint:
      • Orion Nebula: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=Orion+Nebula
      • Orion Nebula Cluster: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=%40811295&Name=NAME%20Orion%20Nebula%20Cluster
      • PMD2009 48: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=PMD2009+48
    • SIMBAD Link
  • Map Reference: Epsilon Orionis
    • POI: Alnilam
    • To accompany Alnitak and Mintaka earlier in the leg, Alnilam is the middle star of Orion’s Belt.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: VY Canis Majoris
    • The largest known star at the time of the in-game galaxy’s creation. There have been larger stars, such as UY Scuti discovered since, but they do not appear in the game. At this time this is the largest known star in the in-game galaxy. It is a red hypergiant located in the constellation of Canis Major. If it was placed in the center of our solar system, its surface would extend beyond the orbit of Jupiter at the least. There is still considerable variation regarding the true radius of VY Canis Majoris, some estimates even have it large enough to extend past the orbit of Saturn.
  • Map Reference: ALS 299
    • POI: Thor’s Helmet Nebula
    • NGC 2359 (also known as Thor’s Helmet) is an emission nebula in the constellation Canis Major. The nebula is approximately 3,670 parsecs (11.96 thousand light years) away and 30 light-years in size. The central star is the Wolf-Rayet star WR7 (aka: ALS 299), an extremely hot star thought to be in a brief pre-supernova stage of evolution. It is similar in nature to the Bubble Nebula, but interactions with a nearby large molecular cloud are thought to have contributed to the more complex shape and curved bow-shock structure of Thor’s Helmet.

      Multiple SIMBAD Links are relevant to this waypoint:
      • ALS 299: http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=ALS+299&submit=submit+id
      • NGC 2359: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=NGC+2359
    • SIMBAD Link
  • Map Reference: CXOU J061705.3+222127
    • POI: Jellyfish Nebula
    • IC 443, also known as the Jellyfish Nebula is a supernova remnant, likely from CXOU J061705.3+222127

      Multiple SIMBAD Links are relevant to this waypoint:
      • Jellyfish Nebula: http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=IC+443
      • CXOU J061705.3+222127: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=CXOU+J061705.3%2B222127
    • SIMBAD Link
  • Map Reference: Crab Pulsar
    • POI: Crab Nebula
    • The Crab Pulsar (PSR B0531+21) is a relatively young neutron star. The star is the central star in the Crab Nebula, a remnant of the supernova SN 1054, which was widely observed on Earth in the year 1054.[4][5][6] Discovered in 1968, the pulsar was the first to be connected with a supernova remnant.

      Multiple SIMBAD Links are relevant to this waypoint:
      • Crab Pulsar: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=Crab+Pulsar
      • Crab Nebula: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=Crab+Nebula
    • SIMBAD Link

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Keltim
    • W Ursae Majoris
    • TRAPPIST-1
    • Betelgeuse
    • Mintaka
    • Alnitak
    • Rigel
    • PMD2009 48
    • Trapezium Sector CB-W C2-3
    • Trapezium Sector VY-A C8
    • Epsilon Orionis
    • VY Canis Majoris
    • V651 Monoceros
    • ALS 299
    • CXOU J061705.3+222127
    • Crab Pulsar

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: W Ursae Majoris
    • W Ursae Majoris is a binary star near to our departure point. It is too faint to see with the naked eye, but it can be viewed with the assistance of a telescope. (There is an unlockable EDSM badge for visiting here)
  • Map Reference: Trapezium Sector CB-W C2-3
    • POI: Messier 78
    • Messier 78 is a nebula in the Barnard’s Loop area, blue and black in colouration. It is a reflection Nebula discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and then included by Charles Messier in his catalog that members of are now referred to as Messier objects. This object was also featured in the 1960s era Japanese anime Ultraman as the location of “The Land of Light” that acted as the homeworld of the Ultramen.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Trapezium Sector VY-A C8
    • Also known as Barnard 33, the Horsehead Nebula is a dark nebula in the constellation Orion, located just south of Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion’s Belt, and is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. It appears in the southern region of the LDN 1630 dust cloud.

      Trapezium Sector VY-A C5 is the closest system with the correct viewing angle of the Horsehead Nebula that can be reached due to the Horsehead Dark Region being permit locked.

      Multiple SIMBAD Links are relevant to this waypoint:
      • Horsehead Nebula: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=Horsehead+Nebula
      • LDN 1630 Dust Cloud: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=LDN+1630
    • SIMBAD Link
  • Map Reference: V651 Monoceros
    • POI: Butterfly Nebula
    • The bright clusters and nebulae of planet Earth’s night sky are often named for flowers or insects. Though its wingspan covers over 3 light-years, NGC 6302 is no exception. With an estimated surface temperature of about 250,000 degrees C, the dying central star of this particular planetary nebula has become exceptionally hot, shining brightly in ultraviolet light but hidden from direct view by a dense torus of dust.

      Text credit with photograph: https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2526.html

      Multiple SIMBAD Strasbourg links are relevant to this waypoint:
      • Butterfly Nebula: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=Butterfly+Nebula
      • V651 Monoceros: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=V651+Monoceros
    • SIMBAD Link