[Exploration] Seasons In The Abyss : An Epic Journey

[SpacialKatana]

I'll be using this thread to document my explorations of the galaxy. Today to get the ball rolling and whet your appetites for more, I bring you the 'Fine Ring Nebula' (Shapley 1), a mere 900 light years from Lave.

Seasons in the Abyss Part 1 : Fine Ring Nebula

View of the nebula from 10.65 light years.

Getting close now, just 3.25 light years distance.

Finally, the view of the main Blue/White star inside the nebula.

Signing off, Cmdr SpacialKatana.

 

[SpacialKatana]

Seasons In The Abyss Part 2 : HIP 83499 Black Hole & Bug Nebula

HIP 83499 Black Hole and Gravitational lensing effect.

Another view of the lensing effect.

Approaching the Bug Nebula (CD-36 11341).

View of a high metallic content planet inside the Bug Nebula.

Another view, this time looking towards V1292 Scorpii, which is my next destination.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all the explorers out there a very Happy New Year!

 

[Mephane]

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all the explorers out there a very Happy New Year!

Happy new year, too! I am out there on a new exploration mission myself, so here is one of my screenshots from today:

Spoiler

(Don't ask me why my Clipper's window is so dirty, I told them again and again to clean the glass.)

 

[HeavyGroovez]

Bloody excellent work dude. Reppage.

 

[SpacialKatana]

Bloody excellent work dude. Reppage.

Cheers Fella, message inbound. Hull is at 96% still, we can make it . We CAN make it .....bzzzzzz

 

[Kayweg]

Great finds and impressive pictures !
Have some fellow explorer rep and a happy 2015.

 

[HeavyGroovez]

I believe that your shot of the Bug is the first planetary nebula to be captured.

Maybe they have the Crab, the Dumbell and the Eskimo out there as well....

EDIT : M1, M27 and NGC 2392

 

[SpacialKatana]

Seasons In The Abyss Part 3 : Cat's Paw nebula

Seasons In The Abyss Part 3 : NGC 6334 (Cat's Paw Nebula)

After a brief stopover at the Scorpii Open Cluster it was time to push on towards the next arm of the galaxy. I'm heading for NGC 6357, and fortunately for me (and you!)
the Cat's Paw Nebula is located along the way. NGC 6334 is approximately 5500 light years from Sol. Here are some of the images of my encounter with this jewel of the galaxy.

My approach of the nebula, about 350 light years out.

A little closer now, viewed from a gas giant.

A water world on the fringe of the nebula.

Some of the nebula's systems need permits. Hmmm interesting...

Who in their right mind wants to be trading and miss views like this!

A brown dwarf with accretion disk inside the nebula.

Another water world, this time within the nebula itself!

Proof of the previous planet's designation and location.

All too soon my visit was over. The Cat's Paw Nebula viewed from above at a distance of 100 light years.

See you again soon commanders. SpacialKatana signing off.

 

[nexxo]

Beautiful!

 

[Seren77]

+rep for the amazing screens and slayer reference

 

[nokander]

+1, nice screenshots.

 

[GrimThara]

Very nice indeed, would love to see more. Some beautiful places out there.

 

[SpacialKatana]

"Birds Eye View of the Galaxy"

The view 1200 light years above the galactic central plane.

Sorry, I know it's a bit weird, but it's the best I could do with MSPaint

Updates coming soon from NGC 6357 and Bleae Aewsy Nebulae.

 

[SpacialKatana]

Seasons In The Abyss Part 4 : NGC 6357

Seasons In The Abyss Part 4 : NGC 6357

Pushing on again, my next destination is NGC 6357 in the Scorpius constellation. It's about 8000 light years from Sol and is a gigantic diffuse nebula spanning around 100 light years.
The Asp is holding up well at this stage (hull around 92% if I recall) and with its 30+ light year range it's gobbling up the vast distances with ease. Below are a series of screenshots
I took on my approach and encounter with the nebula. Stars of note here are the Pismis open cluster stars, 24-1 being the core star.

A water world, with NGC 6357 still around 1200 light years away in the background.

Orbiting a rocky planet during a scan, the nebula is still 750 light years distant.

Getting closer now, about 350 light years left to go.

The Asp races for the centre of the nebula, a mere 100 light years away.

Inside the nebula I found this lava planetoid orbiting one of the Pismis blue giants.

Away from the main stars it's possible to see some of the nebula's colour through the thick dust clouds.

With the Pismis cluster catalogued it's time to warp away to my next destination.

Hope you're enjoying my little adventure. See you soon Commanders!

 

[Windscreen Smudge]

Why do you insist on going places no one else has gone before? Is nothing sacred to you?
|
Get your filthy mitts off my galaxy...

 

[SpacialKatana]

Seasons In The Abyss Part 5 : Bleae Aewsy Nebula

Seasons In The Abyss Part 5 : Bleae Aewsy Nebula

After leaving NGC 6357 behind me I've headed further towards the centre of the galaxy. My next destination was the Bleae Aewsy Nebula,
located about 12,000 light years from Sol near the far side of the Sagittarius Arm. I made my way there high above the galactic central plane
at a 'height' of 1,200 light years. The star density is a lot lower facilitating much faster route planning.


The Bleae Aewsy nebula is located above the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way.

A lonely looking red supergiant viewed from distance with my target in the background.

My obligatory '500 light year distance view' on approach screenshot!

A water world framed by the beautifully coloured nebula cloud.

A gas giant's ice ring tempts me in for a closer look...

...so that's exactly what I did!

If you want to come here it's quite a long way at just shy of 12,000 light years from Sol.

I'm heading west from here along the Sagittarius arm to another nebula. Another update very soon.

 

[Kayweg]

Keep at it, SK !

As usual, epic shots from a epic journey.

 

[Nightborder]

Great photos!I just pass Cats Paw Nebula, and its kinda strange that in the centre of this nebula I found one system with permit for entering it! From whom?? Alien race?

 

[SpacialKatana]

Great photos!I just pass Cats Paw Nebula, and its kinda strange that in the centre of this nebula I found one system with permit for entering it! From whom?? Alien race?

It's well rumoured that FD have blocked various systems for future content, maybe 'Thargoid' or whatever alien race they have planned. I've found permit only systems in just about every nebula I've visited.

 

[SpacialKatana]

Seasons In The Abyss Part 6 : Bleae Aessc AA-A H25 Nebula

Seasons In The Abyss Part 6 : Bleae Aescs AA-A H25 Nebula

A mere 4,000 light year jaunt across the Sagittarius arm of the milky way brought me to the Bleae Aescs nebula. I'll admit now, this nebula is top of my charts currently for pure
visuals and exploration and I've seen a few, beating even the Orion and Pleiades nebulae I visited before embarking on this epic journey. It's roughly 12,000 light years from Sol and
sits slap bang in the centre of a neutron star minefield! It also has it's very own black hole. I make no apologies for the amount of images I took during my visit

The nebula on approach surrounded by neutron stars.

A ringed water world on the nebula's boundary.

Another view from the water world.

The view of the nebula from behind relative to Sol.

The view from underneath, again looking back towards Sol.

The aforementioned black hole. Perhaps the remnant of the star that created the nebula?

A view from inside the nebula.

Another view from inside the nebula.

It's a neutron star party in here!

Time to head out to the next nebula, so long Bleae Aescs it was nice knowing you!

See you soon Commanders. Fly safe !