Month: January 2024

CEA 6 Leg 4

CMDR Kezika

We being leg 4 of Celebration of Early Astronomy 6, which is the last single week length leg of the expedition. We have a few more real celestial objects along this leg. The legs after this one will be two weeks in length and focus on discovering new noteworthy points of interest in the eastern reaches of the galaxy.

Dates

Start Date: January 28, 2024
End Date: February 04, 2024

Distances

Basecamp Line: 4,237 Ly
Main Waypoints: 7,723 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 8,528 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: GU Muscae

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • NGC 3199 Sector LC-V c2-5
    • OGLE-TR-211
    • AG Carinae
    • GU Muscae

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: NGC 3199 Sector LC-V c2-5
    • POI: NGC 3199
    • NGC 3199, also known as The Banana Nebula is an emission nebula in the Carina constellation region of the sky. It was discovered by James Dunlop in 1826. It was originally thought to be a bow shock of it’s central star WR 18, but has since been determined to have been formed due to the composition of local space, not the star’s movement.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: OGLE-TR-211
    • POI: OGLE-TR-211b
    • OGLE-TR-211b is a known exoplanet, a hot Jupiter in a very close orbit with it’s parent star OGLE-TR-211. It is estimated to be slightly more massive than Jupiter. at 1.03±0.2 Jupiter masses.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: AG Carinae
    • AG Carinae is luminous blue variable star in the Carinae constellation region of the sky, and is one of the most luminous stars in our galaxy. However, due to it’s distance of roughly 20,000 lightyears from our solar system, all the stellar dust between us and it makes it generally not visible to the naked eye despite how bright of a star it is. The star has a planetary nebula of material that has been ejected from the star. It is in a transitional period going from being a class O supergiant star to becoming a Wolf-Rayet star.

      There has been some recent data grom the Gaia mission however suggesting that AG Carinae may actually be close to our own solar system than the previously believed 20,000 lightyears, but it is still up for debate which value is the accurate value.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: GU Muscae
    • POI: Nova Muscae 1991
    • GU Muscae, also known as Nova Muscae 1991, as well as GRS 1124-683 is a star system containing a black hole candidate. The system was discovered by both the Russian Granat satellite and Japanese Ginga satellite on January 9, 1991 when the system produced an outburst of x-rays. The black hole is estimated to be 7 times as massive as our sun with a companion star it is taking material from that is three-quarters the mass of our sun. The companions star likely was a more massive star before, but has its outer layers blown away by the supernova that resulted in the creation of the black hole.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • HD 92023
    • NGC 3199 Sector LC-V c2-5
    • Smoju DA-Q d5-2
    • OGLE-TR-211
    • AG Carinae
    • GU Muscae

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Smoju DA-Q d5-2
    • POI: Smoj Crystal Fields
    • The Smoj Crystal Fields, while not a real celestial system, are worth a visit if you would like. Many systems around this system contain Notable Stellar Phenomena points of interest containing icy and metallic crystals of various varieties. Refer to the EDSM page for this system for the full list of nerby systems with NSPs.
    • EDSM Link

CEA 6 Leg 3

CMDR Kezika

There are a few optional waypoints on this leg as well as the two main waypoints. The gaps between waypoints at times have a long distance between them so feel free to explore in those gaps and looks for any other cool points of interest and sights to see that may be suitable for submission to the Galactic Exploration Catalog!

Dates

Start Date: January 21, 2023
End Date: January 28, 2023

Distances

Basecamp Line: 4,506 Ly
Main Waypoints: 5,569 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 6,155 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: HD 92023

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • GCRV 6432
    • HD 92023

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: GCRV 6432
    • POI: IC 2553
    • IC 2553 is a distant planetary nebula in the Carina constellation of the sky. The main star of this system is a Wolf-Rayet C star.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HD 92023
    • POI: HIP 51899
    • HIP 51899 is a giant star located in the Carina constellation region. It is an M class star (although shown in game as K for some reason), and one of the colder known main squence stars in the universe at a temperature between 2,400 and 3,700 Kelvin based on it’s M1II spectral type.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • PCYC 17
    • DETWC Tr 14 J104348.8-593236
    • 206 G. Carinae
    • GCRV 6432
    • HD 92023

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: PCYC 17
    • POI: Pan-Carina YSO Catalog
    • The PCYC catalog is a survey of 1,439 young stellar objects in the Carina complex. This is one star of many in this region that is listed in game via their PCYC catalog number. This star like many others of this catalog have only been cataloged by this specific survey.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: DETWC Tr 14 J104348.8-593236
    • POI: Trumpler 14
    • DETWC Tr 14 J104348.8-593236 is a young star in the NGC 3372 cluster. It also appears to be the only DETWC catalog (De Gioia-Eastwood+Throop+Walker+Cudworth) star in the in-game galaxy. I’m adding it as an optional waypoint as a curiosity to see what is there. There are a fair few other real stars in the 2MASS and PCYC catalgs around this star system as well.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: 206 G. Carinae
    • POI: HD 91533
    • This appears to be some sort of mix-up by the stellar forge with information. The main name this is listed as is 206 G. Carinae, however it lists the HIPP as 51623 and HD as 91533. HIP 51623/HD 91533 is a different star than G Carinae, and there is not a star known as 206 Carinae. (The game’s habit of sometimes smashing together a star’s Bayer and Flamsteed designations into one) Additionally GIP 51623 does not have an official Carinae based Flamsteed or Bayer designation at all.

      In any case, the stellar data besides the name does match with HIP 51623, which is a real star in the Alessi 5 open cluster. That said is seems to be the only star from that cluster represented in the in-game galaxy. It is a little under halfway through the distance of the leg.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

CEA 6 Leg 2

CMDR Kezika

As we head out away from NGC 3590, we make our way out and through the Eta Carina Nebula as we make our way further east through the Carina constellation of the night sky.

Dates

Start Date: January 14, 2024
End Date: January 21, 2024

Distances

Basecamp Line: 3,939.90 Ly
Main Waypoints: 4,754.95 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: GCRV 6493

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Statue of Liberty Sector LC-V c2-12
    • x Carinae
    • V405 Carinae
    • Eta Carinae
    • Eta Carina Sector JH-V c2-9
    • GCRV 6493

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Statue of Liberty Sector LC-V c2-12
    • POI: Statue of Liberty Nebula
    • Statue of Liberty Nebula, also known as NGC 3576 is an emission nebula within the Carina constellation area of the night sky. It was discovered by Sir John Frederick William Herschel in 1834. It was additionally named the Statue of Liberty Nebula in 2009 by Dr. Steve Mazlin.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: x Carinae
    • x Carinae, also known as V382 Carinae is a G class yellow hypergiant star in the Carina constellation of the night sky. It is the brightest yellow hypergiant in the night sky, easily visible to the naked eye. It is roughly 6200 lightyears from our own solar system, 200,000 times as luminous as our sun, and around 500 times the radius of the Sun.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: V405 Carinae
    • POI: NGC 3293
    • NGC 3293 is an open cluster discovered by Nicolas-Louis de Lecaille in 1751. It contains more than 100 stars brighter than 14th magnitude, some of the brightest of are blue supergiants.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Eta Carinae
    • Eta Carinae is a star system containing at least two known starts, and has a combined luminosity greater than five million times brighter than our Sun. It is roughly 7,500 lightyears from our solar system in the Cairna constellation section of the night sky. In 1837 is brightened to become brighter than Rigel. It then became the second brightest star in the night sky for a few days inMarch 1843 before beginning to fade down again, going below naked eye visibility levels in 1856. It had another short brightening period in 1892 before fading again. It has though since 1940 been brightening consistently and has become a 4.5 magnitude star since 2014.

      The brightness eruptions of this star are unqieu to it and no other anlogues to this behaviour are currently known in any galaxy. The cause of the eruptions is also not known, some hypotheses include one of the stars having mass transfer to the main star on close orbital passes (perriastron passage), or possibly the merging of two very large stars into a single larger star.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Eta Carina Sector JH-V c2-9
    • POI: Eta Carina Nebula
    • NGC 3372, also known as the Carina Nebula is a large nebula in the Carina-Sagittarius arm of the galaxy, approximately 8,500 lightyears from Earth. Within it is the Carina OB1 association and several open clusters including Trumpler 14 and Trumpler 16. It is one of the largest diffuse nebulae in our night sky. While it is four times as large as and brighter than the Orion Nebula it is less well known due to being in the southern sky. It was discovered in 1752 by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: GCRV 6493
    • POI: NGC 3211
    • NGC 3211 is a small blue planetary nebula around the star GCRV 6493 in the Carina constellation of the night sky. It was discovered by Sir John Frederick William Herschel in 1837

      There is reportedly Notable Stellar Phenomena in this system containing anomalies.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

CEA 6 Leg 1

CMDR Kezika

On January 7, 2024 we will be launching the sixth iteration of the Celebration of Early Astronomy expedition. For Leg 1 we will be working our way eastward to the NGC 3590 cluster as we visit sights such as Orion’s Belt, and The Vela Pulsar along the way, as well as some clusters and other stars of interest.

Dates

Start Date: January 7, 2024
End Date: January 14, 2024

Distances

Basecamp Line: 5,333 Ly
Main Waypoints: 6,923 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 6,923 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: NGC 3590 CLA 15

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Keltim
    • Alnitak
    • Mintaka
    • Vela Pulsar
    • Phi Velorum
    • HD 78344
    • GCRV 715
    • NGC 3590 CLA 15

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Keltim
    • POI: GL 149
    • We will launch our sixth Celebration of Early Astronomy Expedition from this location, while in-game it is named Keltim, it is the real binary star system known as GJ 149, containing the stars
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Alnitak
    • POI: Orion’s Belt
    • The easternmost star of Orion’s Belt, a very recognizable landmark in the night sky. It is a known triple-star system. Its distance from our solar system in-game is actually a lot closer than in reality, as when the in-game galaxy was generated it was thought to be at a distance of about 225 parsecs from us, however observations since then have revealed that it is actually much further at approximately 1260 parsecs. (about 4100 lightyears). Alnitak Aa is an O class supergiant, estimated to be roughly 33 times as massive as our sun, 20 times the diameter, and 21,000 times the brightness. It is the brightest class O star in the night sky. – Alnitak Ab is a B type subgiant discovered in 1998, and Alnitak C is believed to be part of the system, but has not been fully confirmed and may be another star along the line of sight from our solar system to Alnitak.
    • There is a POI there named “Impressive Rings” on one of the other stars in the system.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Mintaka
    • POI: Orion’s Belt
    • The westernmost star of Orion’s Belt, a very recognizable landmark in the night sky. Mintaka is a multi star system approximately 1200 lightyear from our own solar system, however in game it is only 692 lightyears from Sol. This is due to new discoveries that occurred since the generation of the in-game galaxy show it being nearly twice as far as it was believed to be in 2013. – The primary stars of the system are a class O and a class B star that orbit each other. They are aligned such that they eclipse each other periodically as viewed from our solar system, causing periodic decreases in the brightness of the system in the night sky.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Vela Pulsar
    • The Vela Puslar is a nearby pulsar and one of the best known “gltiching” pulsar, in that it will have unpredicatble changes in its rotational speed for a few seconds at a time. Currently the most recent known glitch of the Vela Puslar was on July 22, 2021 where it briefly slowed down it’s rotational speed for a few seconds before returning to it’s normal rotational speed.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Phi Velorum
    • Phi Velorum is a B class supergiant in the Vela constellation. It is additionally known by the identifiers HD 86440 and HR 3940, and has the traditional Chinese name of Tseen Ke (天紀 ). It is approximately 10 times as massive as our sun.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HD 78344
    • This system contains the rather rare sight of a ringed neutron star. The main star of the system is an O class main sequence star. Additionally there is a fair number of other real star systems near this one for exploration.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: GCRV 715
    • POI: The Southerner Nebula
    • NGC 3918, also known as The Southerner Nebula or “The Blue Planetary Nebula” is a bright planetary nebula in the Centaurus constellation region of the sky. It was first discovered by Sir John Herschel in March 1834 and is easily visible through small telescopes. The central star of the nebula is actually obscured from optical light observations because of how bright the planetary nebula around it is.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: NGC 3590 CLA 15
    • POI: NGC 3590
    • NGC 3590 is an open cluster in the Carina constellation of the sky. There are a fair number of real stars located around this region for exploration purposes. We will be having our CEA 6 Leg 1 Basecamp at NGC 3590 CLA 15 in this cluster.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Keltim
    • Alnitak
    • Mintaka
    • Epsilon Orionis
    • Vela Pulsar
    • Phi Velorum
    • HD 78344
    • GCRV 715
    • NGC 3590 CLA 15

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Epsilon Orionis
    • AKA: Alnilam
    • More commonly known as Alnilam, this is the center star of the Orion’s Belt asterism. It is a decent bit further (in-game) from our solar system than the other two stars of Orion’s Belt (Alnitak and Mintaka). It is the 29th brightest star in the night sky and the fourth brightest star in the Orion constellation.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link