Getting close to Nebulae

[Esteban]

When exploring in the neighborhood of a nebula, is there a good way to determine which system is closest? Currently I just use the galaxy map and rotate around trying to get a feel for which star system gets me closest. Is there a better / more certain method?

Happy travels, CMDRs.

 

[Anticon]

That's as good a way as any. You also could use EDDiscovery, which will give you such distances in great detail.

 

[Diostar50]

When exploring in the neighborhood of a nebula, is there a good way to determine which system is closest? Currently I just use the galaxy map and rotate around trying to get a feel for which star system gets me closest. Is there a better / more certain method?

Happy travels, CMDRs.

The mapping project has filters that'll give you a system within each nebulae, they're references to target when plotting a course there. Usually the reference system is the central system of a nebulae though.

EDSM - Elite Dangerous Star Map

The Galactic Positioning System of Elite: Dangerous at your service.

www.edsm.net

 

[marx]

On the galaxy map, you can enter the nebula's in-game name in the search field (it's easier on Odyssey) and focus on its center. Their true centers are the "virtual" systems which made the nebula, but we can't jump there nor target them: all we can do is to center the galaxy map there. However, it is easier to eyeball whichever system might be closest from that camera position.

The Catalogue of Galactic Nebulae also includes the closest reference systems for all known nebulae in one place, and you can copy-paste the nebula's in-game name from there too. Some of the reference systems are more precise than what's on the GMP (or what was there at the time I made the list), but for most practical applications, the differences shouldn't matter much. Although I'm curious, what do you use the distance(s) for?

 

[Esteban]

On the galaxy map, you can enter the nebula's in-game name in the search field (it's easier on Odyssey) and focus on its center. Their true centers are the "virtual" systems which made the nebula, but we can't jump there nor target them: all we can do is to center the galaxy map there. However, it is easier to eyeball whichever system might be closest from that camera position.

The Catalogue of Galactic Nebulae also includes the closest reference systems for all known nebulae in one place, and you can copy-paste the nebula's in-game name from there too. Some of the reference systems are more precise than what's on the GMP (or what was there at the time I made the list), but for most practical applications, the differences shouldn't matter much. Although I'm curious, what do you use the distance(s) for?

I like to travel around the area surrounding the nebula to get different views. Nebulas being fairly diffuse up close, make it a bit difficult to judge. The best I've done is simply 'by eye' as I have been. It's not bad, but I will try the suggestions from you kind CMDRs.

I haven't been doing this seriously but it's interesting to me. If my journeys get me "close" (term used loosely) to a nebula, I usually can't resist taking a detour to look around. I like to land as well, if possible, for some pretty views.