Author: CMDR KazukoHimura

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.

CEA3 Leg 5

CMDR KazukoHimura

With travelling out to the northernmost real star in the in-game galaxy out of the way, we begin our legs travelling back towards the bubble with the beginning of Leg 5! We will be travelling to the G2 Dust Cloud which is just north of the galactic center for this leg.

Dates

Start Date: August 21, 2021
End Date: September 4, 2021

Distances

Basecamp Line: 13,260.33 Ly
Main Waypoints: 13,358.72 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 29,167.13 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: G2 Dust Cloud Sector JH-V C2-7255

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • PSR J1740-3052
    • G2 Dust Cloud Sector JH-V C2-7255

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: PSR J1740-3052
    • PSR J1740-3052 is a young 570ms pulsar with an estimated age of only about 350 thousand years. It was originally though to have a companion star in a highly eccentric orbit with it with a mass greater than 11 times that of our sun. However later observations seem to discount that star being the companion star and instead a different star of much smaller radius and mass to be the actual companion star, and the other to just be nearby but not orbitally bound. – The star originally thought to be a companion but no longer thought to be would be 2MASS J17405002-3052039, which is not actually in the in-game universe.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: G2 Dust Cloud Sector JH-V C2-7255
    • POI: G2 Dust Cloud
    • The remnant of an event in 2013 of a gas cloud roughly three times the mass of earth passing within 36 lighthours (129,600 Ls) of Sagittarius A. It survived the encounter and has continued moving past Sagittarius A since 2013.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • HD 158564
    • PSR J1740-3052
    • GRS 1737-31
    • Juenae OX-U e2-8852
    • G2 Dust Cloud Sector JH-V C2-7255

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: HD 158564
    • This K class giant was just discovered in the in-game galaxy yesterday by “CMDR Orange!” and takes the mantle as the new furthest north known non-procedurally generated star in the in-game galaxy. — It was originally thought to be just 29,651.21 lightyears from earth based on parallax measurements conducted in 1997, however new measurements from 2007 have changed that estimate to be 46,594.76 lightyears.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: GRS 1737-31
    • GRS 1737-31 is a stellar-mass black hole located in the Galactic Bar. This system was first observed in the year 1997 during observations of the galactic core, where it was detected as a source of gamma and X-rays. Today, three other stars have been found in the system; two of very hot O-class, and one hot B-class. The high mass and very similar young age of these objects suggests that they originate from a similar area. Orbital periods are also quite short, which appears to point towards either a shared origin or capture. No planets are present in this system.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Juenae OX-U e2-8852
    • POI: (NBORO) Electrical Lagrange Cloud
    • This system has two points of interest. The first being the nebula in which it resides, named the Hengist Nebula by early explorers after Emperor Hengist Duval, and in the system there is a Notable Stellar Phenomena of an electrically active lagrange cloud

CEA3 Leg 4

CMDR KazukoHimura

Time for Leg 4, and time to haul to Beagle Point!

Dates

Start Date: August 7, 2021
End Date: August 21, 2021

Distances

Basecamp Line: 13,209.82 Ly
Main Waypoints: 15,204.69 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 72,586.68 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: HD 158320

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • 13 Mu Sagittarii
    • HD 158320

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: 13 Mu Sagittarii
    • While this blue-white supergiant is neither the biggest nor brightest known star in our galaxy, it is among those furthest away while still clearly visible with the naked eye from Earth. Part of the explanation for this is that the star is located deep below the galactic plane allowing for a relative clear line of sight to Earth. The other part is obviously that this IS a supergiant star with a total luminosity of 180.000 times that of the Sun. The star is the 13th star of the constellation Sagittarius (measured in apparent magnitude), and besides its designation “Mu Sagittarii” it is also known under the names Polis and Dôu. (From Galactic Mapping Project entry on EDSM page, minor edit for publishing from a 21st century perspective)
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HD 158320
    • HD 158320 is the furthest north known real star based system in the in-game galaxy. This is based on a search and filtering of the EDSM database ran by CMDR Waterlubber for my purposes of finding such systems. The only more northern systems in the galaxy that do not follow the Blahblah AA-A A#### naming convention are Beagle Point, VonRictofen’s Rescue, and Macedonica’s Leap, none of which are based on real celestial objects. — In real life HD 158320 is a spectroscopic binary system and member of a visial triple system. It is also a possible candidate for the X-Ray Source known as 3U 1727-33
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • 13 Mu Sagittarii
    • V4641 Sagittarii
    • Smootoae QY-S d3-202
    • Beagle Point
    • Oevasy SG-Y D0
    • HD 158320

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: V4641 Sagittarii
    • AKA: SAX J1819.3-2525
    • V4641 Sagittarii is a variable X-ray binary star system in the constellation Sagittarius. It is the source of one of the fastest superluminal jets in the Milky Way galaxy. Amateur astronomer Rod Stubbings made a visual observation of a dramatic outburst during earth year 1999. This observation helped to confirm the source was a black hole with a close binary star. (From Galactic Mapping Project entry on EDSM page)
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Smootoae QY-S d3-202
    • AKA: (NBORO) Luna’s Shadow
    • Situated on the galactic prime meridian, and 1 LY above the galactic plane z-line, some 25,898 LYs from Sagittarius A* on the far side of the galaxy, this system is the physically located antithesis of Sol. Remarkably the star system also has 8 major planets, the third one being a Water World orbited by a moon that is strikingly similar in both appearance, size, and composition to that of the Earth’s moon, Luna, on the opposite side of the galaxy from this location. This moon, nicknamed Luna’s Shadow, is an ideal location for travellers to land at and collect Jumponium resources before heading out to the Abyss. (From Galactic Mapping Project entry on EDSM Page)
  • Map Reference: Beagle Point
    • AKA: (NBORO) Beagle Point
    • Beagle Point marks the end point of a galaxy-spanning expedition undertaken by Commander Kamzel in 3301. At the time, the system was known as Ceeckia ZQ-L c24-0, but Kamzel nicknamed it Beagle Point after his beloved beagle Jack, who had passed away a short time before. One year later, the system was chosen as the final destination of the first Distant Worlds expedition, resulting in an influx of over 500 pilots in April 3302. In recognition of these events, Universal Cartographics officially renamed the system Beagle Point on the 26th of May 3302. At 65,279 LYs from Sol, Beagle Point was one of the most distant star systems a commander could reach prior to the Jumponium and Engineering eras. (From EDSM System Page)
  • Map Reference: Oevasy SG-Y D0
    • AKA: (NBORO) Salome’s Reach
    • This system represents a double galactic record. It is at the same time the most distant system from Sol at 65,647.34 LYs and also the system furthest north of Sol at 65,630.16 LYs. The system was apparently visited by “unknown means” sometime in 3301 by a CMDR Tooth – who originally held the first discovery tagging rights with Universal Cartographics until the system was revisited by more legitimate means by CMDR Ishum in June 3302 once engineered FSD upgrades were introduced. The system contains ‘Salomé’s Reach’ (Oevasy SG-Y D0 B 9 F). At its most extreme, this moon can be over 134,000 Light Seconds further out into the intergalactic void than the primary star is – thus making it the most distant object an explorer can currently visit. It was designated ‘Salomé’s Reach’ in honour of Senator Kahina Tijani Loren (Salomé) by the Children of Raxxla commander who was the first pilot recorded to have landed there (June 1st 3302). (From Galactic Mapping Project entry on EDSM Page)
    • EDSM Link