[Exploration Challenge] The Crawl to Cygni X-3, the Watcher on the Wall

[Gemai]

What is Cygni X-3?

Cygni X-3 is a black hole which is currently seated atop of the galactic border in the game, far above the neutral plane. Its real life equivalent is actually inside the galaxy around 23k ly, but that doesn't matter for this endeavour. Its changed position is actually the main reason to reach for the impossible.


It's located here:

What is the challenge?

Unless the technology advances quickly or some wormhole connects to it, Cygni X-3 is unreachable. While the stellar plane reaches up to below Cygni X-3, even those can't reach him and are themselves nearly unreachable. The last most likely candidate to visit is itself several thousand lightyears away.

So this challenge focuses on three things:

Get as close as possible. The closer, the better. If you make it below 10k ly, marvelous. If you reach the 5k distance, miraculous. If you reach the 3k distance, perfect!
Find Giants and Supergiants on the way, as well as Black Holes. Tell us of any majestic discovery.
If you can, mark down jumponium systems on the way for others to refuel and follow up on your exploits. EDDB can help you with it.

The goal is to at least wave at the watcher on the wall, for his watch won't end for a long time. Give him something to know we are still here.


Why do it?

I can't offer you any reward, aside of another great task undertaken. Some people and I talked about missing stars, especially giants in the game. Also about exoplanets by the way.
I hope the adventure is its own great reward and I would love to see the marvel that is the outer rim of the galaxy, but I will most likely never be able to see it unless I dedicate a lot of time to the travel. So I will leave this up to those who love these marvels.



Alternative Challenge - The Great Canis-Cygni Tour:

Some giants made it into the game, some slightly missed their spots and some will be sorely missed - shout out to you UY Scuti!
To honor the majestic bodies that dwarf even a red giant shortly before its death, the Great Canis-Cygni Tour aims to let you visit some of the famous supergiants of our galaxy in close proximity, especially those associated with the area around the constellation of Cygnus and Canis Majoris.

The starting point is Canopus:

Dog Days:

Canopus - Aludra
Aludra - VY Canis Majoris
VY Canis Majoris - EZ Orionis
EZ Orionis - Betelgeuse
Betelgeuse - Polaris (actually HIP 56124 as Polaris is blocked off, just wave)

Swan Lake:

HIP 90030 - HIP 90050
HIP 90050 - HIP 90022
HIP 90022 - HD 168814
HD 168814 - Sadr

Distant Stars Tour:

Dryau Aod AA-A h9 (B) (Sponsored by Pirin)


Special Star Tour

Heart and Soul (Formadine Equipment! - Sponsored by Koolwehrstukkas):

V1357 Cygni - Pludgu YC-H D11-3
Pludgu YC-H D11-3 - Byudgia FW-N D6-3
Byudgia FW-N D6-3 - Byudgia GM-M D7-3

As before, if you find more Giants or Supergiants, please tell me so they can be added to the tour. Especially any randomly generated giants would be interesting on the way.


Good Hunting Explorers, may wonders await you!




So here is Canopus at 1000 Ls....

... and behind Pluto. 40000 Ls, still shining strong.

 

[Koolwehrstukkas]

This is my contribution. Not the giants, but BIG stars. And pretty old stars.

 

[Gemai]

This is my contribution. Not the giants, but BIG stars. And pretty old stars.

Contrary to your own statement, Carbon stars are considered equal to red giants and S - and their prime the MS - stars are considered "cool" giants. So all contributions are legitimate giants.

However looking around the bubble, I found so many giants, a giant tour is either long or a hassle. I decided to limit the tour to Supergiants for now. The stars that really drop your eyes.

 

[Gemai]

While looking around the bubble, I checked EDSM and these were the results for my Blue Supergiant search:

HIP 90030 (Unlocated in EDSM)
HIP 90050 (Guessed by EDSM)
HIP 90022 (Unknown to EDSM)
HD 168814 (Unknown to EDSM)
Sadr (Known by EDSM)

So if someone is willing to visit those, at least two have a chance of not being visited before... and if they were, EDSM would like the netlog.

 

[Pirin]

Cygni X-3 looks intriguing, nice find!

I am interested in big stars myself. Have many (probably hundreds) supergiants in my archive. Most of them procedure generated.
I dint quite understand if you are looking for supergiants in some specific area around the Bubble or else. So not sure my entries will qualify

First one is technically just giant and not a supergiant but is the largest giant i have ever found and also offers some spectacular views from the nearby planet:

Spoiler

I dare to say that this is the largest procedure generated object recorded so far. At least i am not aware of anything larger than this:

Spoiler

 

[Gemai]

With the updated conditions (supergiants instead of any giant) your red giants is sadly below average. Your giant star and a prime example of a quick burner was added to a new travel tour though. A Distant Stars tour. It is quite of the road.