Newcomer / Intro Navigation question - non-selectable stars

[Windfisch1981]

I am currently on an exploration expedition on my own. While following my originally plotted route, I saw an interesting star cluster and now I want to fly towards it (or see if it is even reachable). Now, when in-flight, you can't just press A on the controller to select any star, and I can't see anything that looks remotely close to that star cluster on the galactic map. So currently I am doing it the following way:

1. Select all nearby systems I can when flying
2. Memorise their position relative to each other
3. Go to the galactic map, try to rotate it in a way it reflects the locations of the system
4. Plot a route roughly in the direction
5. Fly and make sure when following the route, the interesting star cluster is still roughly in front of me, and it becomes bigger after every jump

Is this the way or is there anything more to it I don't know yet?

 

[Dillon Fallon]

Could be a bit of parallax error going on if you've not got the galmap aligned perfectly. Any chance of a picture so we can see what you're looking at?

Edit- mistake in my first post. Can't be that far away if it's getting noticeably bigger after a jump.

 

[Para Handy]

Select a system on the Galaxy map in any direction - exit map - look at HUD target graphic for system in your view - is it near your cluster - select another system in gal map offset in the direction needed - etc etc ... finally you get a system near enough aligned - bookmark it - select a more distant system - check alignment in HUD, if OK then bookmark it, etc - you now have two bookmarks pointing in the direction you want to go.

 

[Chris Simon]

I suppose you are running some filters on your map? Sorted by star type or something like that? If you switch your galmap to realistic mode, you may find the cluster simply by looking around in the map itself.

 

[Sapyx]

You can't select navigaiton targets by looking through your cockpit window; you are doing it the only way possible. Two hints:

• Try "flying" your galctic map in the direction you know the phenomena is located. If it's a large, distant object, it should be hard to miss.
• Check and see if the answer is "NGC 7822". For new explorers, the answer to the question "what's that weird-looking thing over there?" is almost always "NGC 7822". NGC 7822 is a nebula with a couple dozen O-class stars sitting inside it; it's visible from a long way away (over 1000 LYs) as soon as you leave the Bubble in a generally West or South direction.

A final tip: you almost certainly aren't the only explorer to think "hey, that thing over there looks cool, I'll fly over and check it out". So don't be disappointed if, when you get there, you find that the entire star cluster, and the whole sector of space around it, is fully explored. If you want to do true "boldly going" exploration, aim away from the shiny baubles and head for boring, empty space.

 

[Windfisch1981]

Hehe, you were right, it was NGC 7822 and that was exactly what I thought. I left the bubble about "south-west" and wanted to fly to the edge of the galaxy when I saw that bright thing looking a bit like a bird or a dragonfly and I thought "well, I should have a look at this". I already figured it must have been fully explored since I couldn't be the only one discovering it and wanting to go there. But nevertheless I had a great time going there and looking around. And I had some first discoveries and some confirmations for my codex on my way there so I made some humble 12 million Credits in that asteroid base in NGC 7822 selling my discoveries to Universal Cartographics. I think my next thing will be heading back to a system where I can buy a Dolphin, max out its jump range and have a stylish exploration / occasional passenger mission ship. I currently have a 1st class passenger compartment in my ASPX but I really like the large "sea mammal" type ships.