Category: Updates

CEA 7 Leg 6

Niamh Kaminari

We launch the final leg of Celebration of Early Astronomy 7 by departing from the first ever discovered black hole, and headed towards the first of another type of stellar corpse, LGM-1, which is both the first ever discovered neutron star, and first discovered pulsar.

Dates

Start Date: March 9, 2025
End Date: March 23, 2025

Distances

Basecamp Line: 3,518.20 Ly
Main Waypoints: 6,822.46 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 7,890.99 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: LGM-1
Mid-Leg Event: QZ Vulpeculae

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • KOI 4939
    • HD 188504
    • QZ Vulpeculae
    • CSI+19-20105
    • HD 343965
    • LGM-1

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: KOI 4939
    • POI: Kepler-486b (False positive exoplanet)
    • This is a bit of a different one for CEA. KOI 4939.01 also known as Kepler-486b is actually NOT a real exoplanet. It was later discovered in 2016 to be a false positive. This highlights the importance of the scientific process in astronomy and confirming observations by peer review and additional observations.
    • Caltech NASA Exoplanet Archive Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HD 188504
    • POI: Platais 10 Cluster
    • HD 188504 is a binary star system and a member of the Platais 10 star cluster, an open cluster in the area.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: QZ Vulpeculae
    • Discovered by the Ginga telescope in April 1988 when it produced an X-ray nova caused by matter falling in from it’s K class companion into the black hole classified as GS 2000+25. In 3308 it is found to also contain some other bodies, including a terrestrial planet with ammonia based life.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: CSI+19-20105
    • POI: NGC 6886
    • NGC 6886 is a planetary nebula discovered by Ralph Copeland in 1884. It is located in the Sagitta constellation region of the sky. The central star is a post-AGB star with 55% of the Sun’s mass, but 2700 ± 850 times its luminosity. The nebula is thought to have been expanding for between 1,280 to 1,600 years.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HD 343965
    • HD 343965, also known as HIP 94327 is a blue-white B class main sequence star in the Vulpecula constellation of the sky.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: LGM-1
    • LGM-1, officially designated as PSR B1919+21 is the first ever discovered pulsar in 1967 by Jocelyn Bell Burnell. It is also the first ever discovered pulsar as well since it is a neutron star of the pulsar variety. Due to the nature of pulsars as a repeating radio source not being a known phenomenon at the time, it was at first thought to be a signal from an alien intelligence. Originally named LGM-1 standing for “Little Green Men” because of that assumption. Later observation into it led to the discovery of pulsars and their nature.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Additional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • KOI 4939
    • HD 188504
    • QZ Vulpeculae
    • Thailoe UO-A e4
    • CSI+19-20105
    • Traikeou OR-W b5-0
    • HD 343965
    • LGM-1

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Thailoe UO-A e4
    • AKA: Existence in Desolation
    • This system harbors an extremely rare ringed Earth-like moon orbiting a ringed Y-class dwarf star. What’s more, this planet exhibits many rarities, such as very high ice content (88.9%), high argon content in its atmosphere (43.4%), very low density (2.292 g/cm^3), and zero orbital eccentricity. Further, the system’s primary star is an A2 VAB — this planet represents the very first Earth-like found around this type of star. A2 stars in general are quite disagreeable to the formation of Earth-like planets (thanks to their short lifespans and high radiation), so very few have been found around them.

      What’s especially appealing about this world is the low concentration of stars in its vicinity, thanks to its location 800 light years below the galactic plane, on the Orion-Cygnus Arm. This produces unobstructed, scenic views of the galactic plane on one side, and the inky black on the other. Thus the name: this planet affords life in a region of scarcity and desolation. For explorers looking to visit this world, it lies just under 9,000 light years away from Sol, making it quite accessible.
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Traikeou OR-W b5-0
    • POI: Goliath’s Rest Stop
    • A scenic stopping location near the hyper-luminous Traikeou Goliaths. Planet C 3 is an earth-like world with a moon orbiting at no more than 0.1 light-seconds. Terrific and varied views are possible due to the 60 degree orbital inclination of the moon. If you arrive at the right time, the Traikeou nebula can also be observed while admiring the earth-like world. A water world with a moon just as close can also be found, but the water world is both smaller and less colorful. An ammonia world rounds out the collection of life types.
    • EDSM Link

CEA 7 Leg 5

Niamh Kaminari

Leg 5 is the penultimate leg of the Celebration of Early Astronomy 7, ending at the first ever discovered black hole, Cygnus X-1! This is a two week leg with a mid-week event.

One of the additional waypoints is KOI 1701, put in for the challenge of landing on the 45G planet. Use Extreme Caution if you attempt this, and it is highly recommended to turn in exploration data prior to attempting.

Dates

Start Date: February 23, 2025
End Date: March 09, 2025

Distances

Basecamp Line: 2,590.68 Ly
Main Waypoints: 4,635.11 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 7,686.35 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: V1357 Cygni
Mid-Leg Event: HR 7678

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • IC 4996 DAM 9
    • V1820 Cygni
    • HR 7678
    • CSI+29-19529
    • HD 191612
    • V1357 Cygni

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: IC 4996 DAM 9
    • POI: IC 4996
    • IC 4996 is a small cluster in the Cygnus constellation about 5,600 Ly from our solar system. It is also very young at only 9 million years old. Because of that theyre are some stars in it that haven’t yet reached their main sequence stage. As a result this cluster is studied to research pre-main sequence stage of stellar evolution.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: V1820 Cygni
    • POI: NGC 6871
    • NGC 6871 is a small young cluster in the Cygnus constellation, located roughly 5,135 Ly from our solar system. It has fewer than 50 members. Most of the members are blue and white stars. The cluster was discovered by Wilhelm von Struve in 1825.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HR 7678
    • POI: V1768 Cygni
    • HR 7678, also known as V1768 Cygni, is a blue supergiant star in the Cygnus constellation, located roughly 8,000 Ly from our solar system.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: CSI+29-19529
    • POI: NGC 6842
    • NGC 6842 is a planetary nebula on the border of the Cygnus and Vulpeculae constellations, it was discovered in 1919 by Heber Doust Curtis.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HD 191612
    • POI: Cygnus OB 3 Association
    • HD 191612 is a binary star system in the Cygnus constellation. It is located roughtly 6,100 Ly from our solar system and is part of the Cygnus OB 3 association. In 1972 astronomer N. R. Walborn proposed this star as a Of?p type stellar classification. Later in 1989 the Einstein Observatory listed it as a possible X-Ray Binary due to having high x-ray luminosity. Then in 1992 another study of OB stars found that the spectrum for HD 191612 was different than the one reported by Walborn in 1972, which led to a 2003 study that showed that HD 191612 alternated between two spectral states. It was shown to have a cycle time of roughly 540 days, which seemed too long to be explained by normal rotation of pulsation. In 2006 a strong magnetic -1.5 kilogauss field was discovered, making it the second ever O-type star found to have a strong magnetic field, the other being Theta-1 Orionis C.

      By 2007, the combination of earlier observations along with lack of radial velocity suggested a binary system with an orbital period of 1,542 days (+/- 14) with a B-type main sequence companion star with about half the mass of the primary star. In 2011 the magnetic field was confirmed and found to also vary with a period of 537 days, matching the spectral variation, supporting that the star was an oblique rotator, with the magnetic field oriented at a different angle than the stellar poles by 30 degrees tilt.

      For in-game peculiarity this is also the only known system with an F-class supergiant in a planetary orbit around another star.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: V1357 Cygni
    • POI: Cygnus X-1
    • Cygnus X-1 is a microquasar, and was the first x-ray source widely accepted to be a black hole. First discovered in 1964, it is one of the strongest X-ray sources detectable from Earth. Estimated mass is roughly 21x that of our sun, but has shown to be too small to be any other known type of star or object besides a black hole. The event horizon radius is estimated to be 300km in size. — It orbits in a binary system with blue supergiant HDE 226868 at 0.2AU.

      Cygnus X-1 is thought to be orbited by a thin, flat disk of accreting matter known as an accretion disk. While not represented in-game, these are highly heated disks of matter from the friction cuased by vast differences in orbital speeds as the proximity to the black hole increaes, with the innermost orbits forming a plasma. Accretion disks emit massive amounts of x-rays, which begin as lower energy photons in the accretion disk and are given more energy through the process of Compton scattering from extremely high temperature electrons from the corona surrounding the accretion disk.

      As the matter from the accretion disk dalls towards the black hole, it loses massive amounts of gravitational potential energy. Due to law of conservation of energy, that energy has to go somewhere, which it does in the form of jets of matter flowing outwards from the black hole accelerated to relativistic velocities.

      In 2006, Cygnus X-1 became the first stellar-mass black hole found to display evidence of gamma-ray emission in the very high energy band above 100 GeV.

      Cygnus X-1’s companion star is HDE 226868, an O-type supergiant with a surface temperature of 31,000 Kelvin, and a mass roughtly 20-40 times that of our Sun. The surface of HDE 226868 is tidally distorted by the gravity of the black hole, causing it to be tear drop shaped, and causes the optical birghtness of the star to vary by 0.06 magnitude during each 5.6 day orbit.

      Cygnus X-1 is the subject of a two-part song by the band Rush.

      Additionally the 1979 Disney movie The Black Hole features a black hole called “The Cygnus” in the movie, which presumably would be Cygnus X-1.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Additional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • KOI 1701
    • IC 4996 DAM 9
    • V1820 Cygni
    • HR 7678
    • CSI+29-19529
    • Blaa Eohn YZ-G d10-0
    • HD 191612
    • V1357 Cygni

Additional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: KOI 1701
    • POI: Via Gravitatis (Extreme Caution!)
    • KOI-1701.01 is an unconfirmed exoplanet around the star KOI-1701. It is thought to be a gas giant, however the game generated it as a landable metal-rich body, resulting in the wackiness of a 45.32 G landable body.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Blaa Eohn YZ-G d10-0
    • POI: Planet of Slightly Lesser Death
    • Like the infamous Monde de la Morte (Spoihaae XE-X D2-9), this system consists of a planet which orbits perpendicular to the core white dwarf’s jet cones close enough to pass through them at either end. While not passing as near as the exclusion zone unlike its eponym, the cones themselves still create a severe hazard for landing which should not be attempted while the planet is inside the jets themselves.
    • EDSM Link

CEA 7 Leg 4

Niamh Kaminari

Leg 4 begins the first two-week leg of the Celebration of Early Astronomy 7 expedition. Longer distance between basecamps, and on the mid weeks we will hold an event somewhere partway through the distance.

This leg features a few systems from the KOI (Kepler Objects of Interest) catalog, which themselves have real exoplanets in them. KOI catalog contains stars with transiting planets as observed by the Kepler telescope due to periodic dimming.

Anchors:
Main Waypoints
Additional Waypoints

Dates

Start Date: February 9, 2025
End Date: February 23, 2025

Distances

Basecamp Line: 3,551.03 Ly
Main Waypoints: 4,153.68 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 4,403.08 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: KY Cygni
Mid-Leg Event: BD+41 4004

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Sadr
    • Kepler-5
    • KOI 3179
    • KOI 1014
    • KOI 116
    • WR 136
    • Crescent Sector GW-W c1-8
    • KY Cygni

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Sadr
    • POI: Gamma Cygni
    • Sadr, also known by the Bayer designation Gamma Cygni, is a supergiant star in the Cygnus constellation. It additionally forms the intersection of the asterism known as the Northern Cross. It is located roughly 1,800 lightyears form our solar system. The official IAU name Sadr for this star is derived from the Arabic word for chest, this base word is also used for another star Schedar (Alpha Cassiopeiae).

      Sadr has an apparent visual magnitude of 2.23, putting it amongst the brightest stars in the night sky. Sadr is 14.5 times the mass of our sun, 180 times the radius, and emitting over 33,000 times as much energy. This star is also surrounded by a diffuse nebulae called IC 1318.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Kepler-5
    • POI: Kepler-5b
    • Kepler-5 is a star located in the Cygnus consteallation. It has a closely orbiting Hot Jupter type planet Kepler-5b (Kepler-5 1 in game). This was the second exoplanet to be detected by NASA’s Kepler mission, which aimed to detect planets transiting their host stars as seen from Earth via periodic dimming. The discovery of Kepler-5b was announced at the January 4th, 2010 meeting of the American Astronomical Society along with Kepler-4, Kepler-6, and Kepler-7.

      Kepler-5b has is 2.1 times as massive as Jupiter and 1.426 times the radius. It orbits Kepler-5 at 0.0538 AU, thus making it a Hot Jupiter class exoplanet. (in comparison, Mercury orbits at .3871 AU)
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: KOI 3179
    • POI: Kepler-1911b
    • KOI 3179 is one of the many members of the Kepler Objects of Interest catalog from NASA’s Kepler missions which aimed to detect exoplanets by the dimming of their parent star as their orbit transited their parent star as observed from our solar system.

      KOI 3179.01 aka Kepler-1911b is a Super Earth type exoplanet orbiting a G-type main sequence star. Even though classified as a Super Earth (mass greater than Earth) it is barely more massive than Earth, at only 1.01 Earth masses. However, it is likely not an Earthlike planet given it orbits it’s parent star at a mere 0.06 AU. Here is the NASA page regarding this exoplanet: https://ciencia.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/kepler-1911-b/

      The specifics of the planet as a Super Earth came after the 2013 galactic generation however, the original detection with the Kepler mission it was thought to be more massive and thought to be a Hot Jupiter type, which is why in-game it is represented as a Hot Jupiter instead of as a Super Earth.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: KOI 1014
  • Map Reference: KOI 116
    • POI: Kepler-106
    • KOI 116, also known as Kepler-106 is a member of the NGC 6866 open cluster, and also contains 4 known exoplanets. Like with KOI 3179, the original dsicovery of this missions prior to 2013 has estimated some of their masses to be higher than was later revealed through further observations. As such they are represented in game by gas giants, when they are each Super Earth type exoplanets.

      Additionally Kepler-106f is as of 2024 a potential candidate for a 5th exoplanet around this star, but is as yet unconfirmed.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: WR 136
    • WR 136 is a Wolf-Rayet type star located in the Cygnus constellation of the sky and located at the center of the Crescent Nebula, and is the star responsible for the existence of the Crescent Nebula. (however in game it is erroneously located far from it) It’s age is estimated to be around 4.7 million years, but Wolf-Rayets are very short lived, so this means it is nearing the end of it’s life and is expected to go supernova within the news few hundred thousand years.

      It is roughly 600,000 times brigher than our sun, 21 times more massive, and 5.1 times larger, with a surface temperature near 70,000 Kelvin.

      Additionally there is some evidence that WR 136 may have a low mass companion star of main seqence type K or M. (which is represented in game as well as a K class star)
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Crescent Sector GW-W c1-8
    • POI: Crescent Nebula
    • The Crescent Nebula, also known by identifiers NGC 6888, Caldwell 27, and Sharpless 105; is an emission nebula in the Cygnus constellation, located roughly 5,000 lightyears from our solar system. William Herschel discovered it in 1792, and it is formed by the fast stellar winds of the Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 (our previous waypoint) colliding and energizing the slower moving wind ejected by the star previously when it became a red giant 250,000 to 400,000 years ago.

      The resulted in two shockwaves, one moving outward and one moving inward. The inward moving shock wave heats the stellar wind to X-ray emitting temperatures.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: KY Cygni
    • KY Cygni is a red supergiant in the Cygnus constellation, located roughly 4,700 lightyears from our own solar system. It lies near the open cluster NGC 6913, but is not a member of the cluster itself. The light from KY Cygni is heavily reddened due to “interstellar extincion” which is the absorption and scattering of light due to interstellar dust.

      Ky Cygni is also variable, but with no clear periodicty or predictability to it’s periods of variation.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Sadr
    • HR 7767
    • Kepler-5
    • KOI 3179
    • KOI 105
    • KOI 2484
    • KOI 1014
    • KOI 116
    • BD+41 4004
    • WR 136
    • Crescent Sector GW-W c1-8
    • KY Cygni

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: HR 7767
    • HR 7767 is near the route, it is a real binary system in the Collinder 419 cluster. In-game however the secondary star is a black hole, when in reality it is a B class star.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: KOI 105
  • Map Reference: KOI 2484
  • Map Reference: BD+41 4004
    • POI: Magic Carpet Nebula
    • The Magic Carpet Nebula (NGC 7027) is a very young dense planetary nebula roughly 3,000 lightyears from our solar system. It was discovered in 1878 by Edouard Stephan at the Marseille Observatory. It is one of the smallest planetary nebula, and the most extensively studied. It is also one of the visually brightest planetary nebulae.

      It was photographed multiple times by the Hubble Space Telescope. Prior to being photographed by Hubbe it was thought to be a protoplanetary nebula with a central star too cool to ionize the gas, but the photographs revealed it is a planetary nebula, but unusually small, measuring only 0.2 lighyears by 0.1 lighyears dimensions, where the average size of a planetary nebula is roughly 1 lightyear.

      The Helium Hyrdride Ion (Helonium), was first detected in 2019 in this nebula, confirmed hypotheses about the early formation of the universe, as Helonium was one ofthe first molecule thought to have been formed after the Big Bang. There is also evidence to suggest the presence of nanodiamonds within the nebula. (Diamonds smaller than 100 nanometers)
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

CEA 7 Leg 3

Niamh Kaminari

For Leg 3 of Celebration of Early Astronomy 7 we are moving over to the Veil Nebula West with two waypoints along the way to allow for a more freeform exploration leg for leg 3 before we begin with the longer two week legs.

Dates

Start Date: February 2, 2025
End Date: February 9, 2025

Distances

Basecamp Line: 1,552 Ly
Main Waypoints: 1,896.30 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: Veil West Sector KC-V c2-18

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Iris Sector EL-Y d22
    • HIP 102082
    • Alpha Cygni
    • Veil West Sector KC-V c2-18

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Iris Sector EL-Y d22
    • POI: Iris Nebula
    • The Iris Nebula, also known as Caldwell 4 is a reflection nebula in the Cepheus constellation. The nebula is illuminated by the star HD 200775

      FW Cephei nearby is a populated system with a station for turning in exploration data if you need to.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HIP 102082
    • POI: V Cygni
    • A very large carbon star with only twice the mass of our sun, but nearly 200 times the size of our sun. It is located 271 parsecs from our own solar system. Additionally it is a Mira Variable star, which are pulsating stars characterized by very red colors, pulsation periods longer than 100 days, and amplitudes greater than one magnitude in infrared spectrum and 2.5 magnitude within the visible spectrum. The large visual amplitudes are not due to actual luminosity changes, but shifting of their output between the infrared and visual wavelengthsas that star changes temperature during the pulsations.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Alpha Cygni
    • POI: Deneb
    • The brightest star in the Cygni constellation, and 19th brightest star in the night sky. It represents the tail of the swan in the Cygnus constellation. This star is the star ionizing the North America Nebula and Pelican Nebula. Was also featured multiple times in the science fiction series Star Trek, most notably in the first ever episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation as the location of Farpoint Station.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Veil West Sector KC-V c2-18
    • POI: Veil Nebula West
    • Designated as NGC 6960, a nebula in the Cygnus constellation and constitutes the visible portions of the Cygnus Loop. It is the remnants of a supernova. It is also sometimes referred to as the Cirrus Nebula or the Filamentary Nebula.

      Additional viewing site suggestion: Veil West Sector PD-S B4-2, puts it nearly in line with Barnard’s Loop for a spectacular view.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Additional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: HD 200775
    • HD 200775 is the main star illuminating the Iris Nebula, it is a Herbig Be star in real life, although represented as a B star in game.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

CEA 7 Leg 2

Niamh Kaminari

For leg 2 we will be visiting various sights along the western side of the human populated bubble.

Dates

Start Date: January 26, 2025
End Date: February 2, 2025

Distances

Basecamp Line: 1,768.04 Ly
Main Waypoints: 2,657.83 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: NGC 752 DLM 167a

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Segin
    • HIP 3289
    • California Sector BV-Y c7
    • Menkib
    • ASR 27
    • NGC 752 DLM 167a

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Segin
    • Segin, also known as Epsilon Cassiopeiae is one of the stars acting as a point for the Cassiopeiae constellation, one of the ends of the constellation. It is categorized as a B3 V star, although it displays the spectral properties of a Herbig Be star. The difference in spectrum is attributed to a shell of gas that has been thrown off by the star. It has a radius roughly 6x the size of our sun, 9x the mass, but 3000x the radiation. The Hipparcos mission determined due to it’s space velocity that it is very likely to be a member of the Casseiopeiae-Taurus Group, an OB association of co-moving stars.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HIP 3289
    • POI: LBN 623
    • LBN 623 Nebula, also known as IC 59, is a dark purple emission nebula. It has also been called the Gamma Cassiopeiae nebula due to visual proximity of that bright star and the nebula as seen from old Earth. It is the nearest photodissociation region to our solar system. Photodissociation regions are regions of interstellar medium where far-ultraviolet photons strongly influence the gas chemistry and act as the most important source of heat. They occur in any region of interstellar gas that is dense and coldenough to remain neutral (electrically), but has too low of a density to prevent far-ultraviolet photons from penetrating.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: California Sector BV-Y c7
    • POI: California Nebula
    • The California Nebula, also known as NGC 1499 is an emission nebula in the Perseus constellation, named due to it’s resemblance to the outline of the US State of California. (granted in game it’s a generic nebula). It was discovered in 1884 by E. E. Barnard and is roughly 1000 lightyears from our own solar system. Its flourescence is due to the nearby energetic star Xi Persei, also known as Menkib, which is the next waypoint on the route.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Menkib
    • Menkib, also known as Xi Persei is a star in the Perseus constellation roughly 1,200 lightyears from our own solar system. It was officially named Menkib by the IAU due to it’s traditional arabic name Al Mankib., which meant “shoulder.” It is an O class blue giant roughly 263,000x more luminous than our sun across all wavelengths while being roughly 30x as massive as our sun. It is a member of the Perseus OB2 association of co-moving stars, but may be a runawau star since it is now separated by 200 parsecs from the association’s center with an unusually high radial velocity.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: ASR 27
    • POI: NGC 1333
    • NGC 1333 is a reflection nebula located in the Perseus constellation, along the border with Taurus and Aries, roughly 980 to 1,140 lightyears frm our solar system.. First discovered by Eduard Schönfeld in 1855. It is a young region of active star formation and one of the most studied stellar formation regions. The nebula region has a combined mass of approximately 450 solar masses, and contains roughly 150 stars iwth a median age of a million years, and combined mass near 100 stellar masses among those. A significant portion of the stars are in the pre-main sequence stage of their stage of evolution.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: NGC 752 DLM 167a
    • POI: NGC 752
    • NGC 752, also known as Caldwell 28 is an open cluster in the Andromeda constellation. It was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783 and cataloged by her brother William Herschel in 1786. However, an object that matches details with NGC 752 was described by Giovanni Batista Hodierna in 1654. The cluster is roughly 1,400 lightyears from our own solar system and can be easily seen through binoculars or telescope, however may be naked eye visible in very dark skies.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

CEA 7 Leg 1

Niamh Kaminari

For the first leg of Celebration of Early Astronomy 7 we set off from the Thethys system and as a warm-up tour some of the nearby sights to the human populated bubble, included the first exoplanet discovered around a main-sequence star, as well as various nebulae, a pulsar, and a nova!

Since we are staying near the bubble, no worries in case you accidentally forgot something before departing, or need to alter something on your ship build. We are basically going around the bubble counter-clockwise starting in the east. The furthest we get from Sol on this particular leg is 657 Ly, so will always be quite easy to pop back in to a nearby populated system.

Dates

Start Date: January 19, 2025
End Date: January 26, 2025

Distances

Basecamp Line: 710.60 Ly
Main Waypoints: 2,328.29 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: Nova Aquila No 3

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Thethys
    • 51 Pegasi
    • HIP 62270
    • Sheron
    • HR 6387
    • Snake Sector PD-S b4-1
    • PSR J1856-3754
    • Nova Aquila No 3

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Thethys
    • POI: GL 135 & AB Doradus Moving Group
    • GL 135, known in 3310 as Thethys, is one of the stars in the AB Doradus Moving Group, a group of 30 stars that are moving through space together with similar age and composition due to being formed in the same stellar nursery. AB Doradus is the primary star of the AB Doradus moving group, hence the name. This particular moving group, being roughly 20 parsecs from Sol is the closest known co-moving group to Sol.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: 51 Pegasi
    • POI: 51 Pegasi b
    • 51 Pegasi b, officially named Dimidium, discovered in 1995 was the first exoplanet discovered orbiting a main-sequence star. (First exoplanets were discovererd in orbit of PSR J1300+1240 (which is also in-game))

      It is the prototype planet for the class of planets called “hot Jupiters” due to their proximity to their parent stars. 51 Pegasi b orbits at 0.05 AU, closer to its parent star than Mercury does the sun.

      The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Didier Queloz, and Michel Mayor in part for their discovery of 51 Pegasi b.

      The planet was officially named Dimidium after a public nomination and voting process by the IAU, the winning name Dimidium, meaning “half” in Latin refers to the planet’s mass, which is roughly half that of Jupiter.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HIP 62270
    • POI: Coalsack Nebula
    • The Coalsack Nebula is a dark nebula, visible to the naked eye as obscuring parrt of the Milky Way in the Crux constellation region of the sky. It covers a rectangle about 7 degrees by 5 degrees in the sky, and extends partially into the Centaurus and Musca regions of the sky as well.

      The first reported observation of it was by Vicente Yáñez Pinzón in 1499.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Sheron
    • POI: IC 4604, Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex
    • IC 4604, also known as the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is roughly 460 lightyears from our solar system centered in the sky around the star Rho Ophiuchi (albeit further from us than Rho Ophiuchi), and one of the closest star-froming regions to our solar system. It consists of the star-forming cloud L1688 and various filament clouds known as the Dark River clouds.

      Additionally in this system Sheron, there is a megaship worth scanning with some lore logs related to humanity’s history with the Thargoids.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: 5 Rho Ophiuchi
    • POI: Rho Ophiuchi
    • Rho Ophicuhi, aka 5 Ophicuhi is a multi-star system in the Ophiuchus constellation. The main pair Rho Ophiuchi AB consists of two blue subgiants. Rho Ophiuchi A emits X-rays with strong variability, however the cause of these is not known. Leading hypothesis are a magnetically active surface spot, or a low mass companion it feeds material from that we haven’t been able to distinguish apart from it.

      Additionally HD 147932, designated Rho Ophiuchi C is located roughly 17,000 AU (8.5 million lightseconds) from the AB pair (in-game it’s not that far, however this is due to that measurement being published in 2013 after galactic generation).

      Further there is also the Rho Ophiuchi DE pair, which are not represented in-game due to publication in 2013 in the same observations as the distance measurement for Rho Ophicuhi C.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: HR 6387
    • POI: Pipe Nebula
    • The Pipe Nebula, aka Barnard 59 is a dark nebula in the Ophiuchus constellation shaped like a smoking pipe. It consists of two parts, the Pipe Bowl Nebula and the Pipe Stem Nebula. It is part of the larger Dark Horse Nebula.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: PSR J1856-3754
    • POI: Coronet Pulsar
    • The Coronet Pulsar, cataloged as RX J1856.5-3754 and PSRJ1856-3754 is the closest known neutron star to our own solar system. It was hypothesized for a time to be a “quark star” a still hypothetical star type called a quark star because of early measurements erroneously gauging it as having a surface temperature of 700,000 Celsius. Later measurements more accurately showed a surface temperature of 434,000 Celsius, allowing it to fit back within the models for neutron stars.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Snake Sector PD-S b4-1
    • POI: Snake Nebula
    • The Snake Nebula, aka Barnard 72 is another dark nebula in the Ophiuchus constellation of the sky. It is a small but visible s-shaped dust alne near the Pipe Nebula. It is part of the larger Dark Horse Nebula.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Nova Aquila No 3
    • POI: Nova Aquila 1918
    • V603 Aquilae, aka Nova Aquilae 1918 aka Nova Aquila No 3, was a bright nova observed in 1918. It was the brightest nova to appear since Kepler’s Supernova in 1604. It is a white dwarf in a close binary with its companion red dwarf orbiting each other every 3 hours and 20 mintues. (although in game it is inaccurately a neutron star).

      Was first seen by Zygmunt Laskowski, and confirmed by Grace Cook on June 8th 1918, it reached peak magnitude of -0.5, and was briefly the third brightest object in the sky, only dimmer than Sirius and Canopus. This is the brightest nova in the era of telescopes.

      The nova event itself is what occurs when the white dwarf has sucked enough material off of it’s companion star to fill it’s Roche Lobe. Once the Roche Lobe has filled, it explodes in a massive thermonuclear explosion, which forms a bright expanding shell. Another nova is expected in the imminent future from T Corona Borealis, scientist were expecting it in the latter half of 2024, but it has not occured yet as of writing this, but is expected quite literally, any day now.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

CEA 7 Leg 1 & 2 Updated

Niamh Kaminari

A major bug with the in-game plotter was introduced with the latest patch of Elite. It is causing routing in the Barnard’s Loop region to completely fail and require manual plotting when in there. (Not the usual issue with the permit locks around there.)

As a result, we’ve redesigned legs 1 and 2 of Celebration of Early Astronomy 7. We will instead start the expedition by going around the human populated bubble from the east in a counter-clockwise direction, visiting the various dark nebulae and other sights around there as we rejoin with the original route in NGC 752 DLM 167a on the “southwest” side of the bubble at the end of leg 2.

Please see the post https://theexpedition.info/2024-12-10/celebration-of-early-astronomy-7 for the full details.

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CEA 6 Leg 7 (Final Leg)

Niamh Kaminari

We now begin the final leg of our 6th Celebration of Early Astronomy expedition, with the final destination being V429 Carinae, the furthest east real star in the in-game galaxy. Since it can only be reached via carrier, the carriers will be moving to the Bloae Hypeia GN-R d5-0 system. The C.E.A. – Cerletti is already there and available to jump in anybody who wishes to arrive and begin their trip back to the bubble early.

Kami’s Lookout will be working it’s way there and will be the carrier for the final mass jump, which will take the form of a party aboard the carrier in which the carrier will perform the jump at the prescribed time.

Dates

Start Date: March 3, 2024
End Date: March 18, 2024

Distances

Basecamp Line: 8,690 Ly
Main Waypoints: 8,690 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 10,393 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: V429 Carinae

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • V429 Carinae
      • (Carrier will jump from Bloae Hypeia GN-R d5-0 in order to reach this system)

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: V429 Carinae
    • WR 22, also known as V429 Carinae is a Wolf-Rayet star in the Carina constellation region of the sky. It is a bright X-ray source due to colliding solar winds with its less massive class O companion star (not depicted in game). It is an eclipsing binary that is temporarily eclipsed by its O class companion roughly every 80 days.
    • SIMBAD Link
    • EDSM Link

Optional Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Bleou Aed MS-U d2-0
    • Prea Aick MO-Z d13-2
    • Swauwry UY-S d3-5
    • V429 Carinae

Optional Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Bleou Aed MS-U d2-0
    • POI: Argon Dream
    • Listed as Argon Dream in the Galactic Mapping Project. Near the second star, a Class I gas giant with two rings can be found. It’s two inner moons roam the wide gap between them, their orbits enclosed by the second ring that has an outer radius of over 4,909,000 km. The third moon (B 6 c) is an ice world with an Argon atmosphere and two biological signals. It’s orbit is tilted by -47,64 degrees relative to the gas giant’s equator, offering a unique view of both rings and the shepherd moons from the surface.
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Prea Aick MO-Z d13-2
    • POI: King Midas
    • Listed as King Mdias in the Galactic Mapping Project. A truly remarkable Ammonia World some 6400 LS from its parent star. This high density planet is huge, with a gigantic ring system (itself weighing in at nearly a trillion metric tons) and the planet itself looks like it is made of solid gold (its density is actually similar to that of gold!).
    • EDSM Link
  • Map Reference: Swauwry UY-S d3-5
    • POI: Theophrastus’s Conservatory
    • Listed as Theophrastus’s Conservatory in the Galactic Mapping Project.
    • Highlights of the system include two ringed water worlds, one ammonia world, one Earth-like world, and three Notable Stellar Phenomena. This arrangement of planets appears to have spurred some staggering diversity among an ancestral population of vacuum-dwelling life, which is the true draw of this system. Usually a star system will only support one type of dynamic NSP-based lifeform, occasionally two. However the conditions of this system have allowed for the growth and coexistence of three, with each NSP hosting a unique variety of Rhizome Pod (Candidum, Cobalteum, and Gypseeum). The rings of the water worlds each contain one, as well as a population in a Proto Lagrange Cloud around the secondary star.
    • EDSM Link

CEA 6 Leg 6 (Discovery Leg 2)

Niamh Kaminari

Leg 6 is the second leg of discovery phase of the expedition. Looking to find new POIs and sights for submission to the Galactic Exploration Catalog.

From this point the expedition will focus on finding new sights and discoveries for submission into the Galactic Exploration Catalog, which can be found at https://edastro.com/gec

Legs 5, 6, and 7 will each be two weeks in length. Convening at certain locations along the way for mass jumps! Legs 5 and 6 there are no waypoints besides the basecamps themselves. For Leg 7, the final leg, there will be a few optional waypoints leading up to our final destination at V429 Carinae

Go get your name on something really awesome CMDRs!

Dates

Start Date: February 18, 2024
End Date: March 04, 2024

Distances

Basecamp Line: 7,452 Ly
Main Waypoints: 7,452 Ly
Optional Waypoints: 7,452 Ly

Map, (click for full size):

Basecamp: Preou Aip JY-U c2-0

Main Waypoints

  • Map References quick reference list, more details below
    • Preou Aip JY-U c2-0

Main Waypoints Details

  • Map Reference: Preou Aip JY-U c2-0
    • The D 1 planet features a stunning view of the star, while temperatures on the surface are still relatively safe. This is perhaps the closest one can ever get to disembarking on this type of body, at only 2.0 ls to the star. Not only is it a stunning sight to behold, but the planet’s orbit is also quite fast: achieving a full orbit around its parent takes only two hours.
    • EDSM Link