Is there a way to determine the distance of other-than-the-one-you-jump-to stars from their planets? Besides driving to the stars...
The distance of planets from secondary stars
- Thread starter space voyager
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Not directly, but you can infer some min/max values based on their distance from you and the order in their orbit from the secondary star.
I guess it could work if the other star is close enough (the bigger the angle, the more accurate the triangulation) but for stars 100kLY away the distance difference for the star and planets is negligible. But ok, at least a useful idea and thank you!
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If the forge is generating reliably stable systems, it would be unlikely to have a star group that has planets with orbits a large percentage of of the stars' separation, otherwise they'd lose the far planets to their companion or worse. So the ratio should stay the same, and the negligability, regardless of the stars' distances from each other.
Yes. In many cases, anyway.
For single (non-co-orbital) planets, the game reports the orbital radius of the planet on the Info tab of the system map, even for Unexplored planets. It gives this figure in AU (Astronomical Units). 1 AU equals the distance from Earth to the Sun. Now, the Earth is just over eight light-minutes away from the Sun or, in game terms, almost exactly 500 Ls. So if you take the orbital radius in AU and multiply by 500, you should get a good rule-of-thumb distance in Ls between the star and planet.
For single (non-co-orbital) planets, the game reports the orbital radius of the planet on the Info tab of the system map, even for Unexplored planets. It gives this figure in AU (Astronomical Units). 1 AU equals the distance from Earth to the Sun. Now, the Earth is just over eight light-minutes away from the Sun or, in game terms, almost exactly 500 Ls. So if you take the orbital radius in AU and multiply by 500, you should get a good rule-of-thumb distance in Ls between the star and planet.
One more question... IIRC, when travelling to the secondary/tertiary... stars I always arrive from the side of that star's planetary system, meaning that the system is oriented the same as the system of the primary star. Is this the case? It may even be scientifically correct that gravitationally locked stars would form accretion disk in the same plane (though I have no bloody idea) due to the orbiting in the same plane around the centre of gravity.
ANYway, if this is the rule, than sleutelbos' answer is completely correct except for the very rare case where all planets happen to be lined up in a line perpendicular to the "line of sight" from the primary star.
ANYway, if this is the rule, than sleutelbos' answer is completely correct except for the very rare case where all planets happen to be lined up in a line perpendicular to the "line of sight" from the primary star.
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There are many systems for which this isn't true and "secondary systems" will have their ecliptic far off that of the "parent system".
Many as a high percentage or many because there are billions of stars? 
Seriously though, I can imagine that even if there is a general rule of the same plane there are chances of "misaligned" systems (stars gravitationally locked after the formation etc.), just like there is a chance for a moon to orbit outside of the general plane. BTW, I love finding such moons around ringed gas giants as they, when close to the planet, present opportunities for best of sights.
Seriously though, I can imagine that even if there is a general rule of the same plane there are chances of "misaligned" systems (stars gravitationally locked after the formation etc.), just like there is a chance for a moon to orbit outside of the general plane. BTW, I love finding such moons around ringed gas giants as they, when close to the planet, present opportunities for best of sights.
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