Writing Great Object Descriptions
Baton recently wrote in one of his submissions: "I tried hard, but I know very little about astronomy and cannot put a reasonable description, I can get to places, take decent photo and find geysers, can anyone help and write some description please? "
Since this seems to be a common issue for people, I'd like to provide some tips for
Writing Awesome Object Descriptions:
When submitting a new object for submission to the Galactic Mapping Project, an excellent description really helps make the submission shine. Almost all of what other people will know about the thing you've submitted is what you write about it! There are a few things you can do to make high-quality descriptions.
1)
Write in third-person
Describe the object, not your personal experience or feelings on the object. Do not use "I" or "me" words! If you need to describe feelings or emotions, take yourself out of them.
Bad example: "I thought this nebula looked amazing from the third planet."
Good example: "Amazing views of the nebula can be found on the third planet."
2)
Use science - but good science
Elite Dangerous is a game based in the real world, and is populated with many objects from the real world, all based on the science of astronomy. Using astronomy is an excellent way to improve your description of the object. If you do this, do try to make sure you don't invent things! Use only what you're confident is correct science. Directly using quotes from other sources is a good way to do that.
Bad example: "This B-class star has a 6 solar masses so is unusually large".
Good example: "This B-class star has over 30 solar masses, which is unusually large for this type of star".
(Most B-class stars are between 2 and 16 solar masses.) (
reference)
3)
Describe what makes the object unique or unusual
There are hundreds billions of stars in the galaxy, even more planets, and at least thousands of planetary nebula and regular nebula. What makes this one different from all the other ones? Here are a few things you can focus on to describe why it is unique:
* The size (unusually large or small)
* The mass (unusually heavy or light)
* Temperature (unusually hot or cold)
* Color
* Shape
* Objects nearby
* Collection of objects together (eg 4 black holes and three earth like planets? that's very unusual)
Bad example: "A black hole inside a nebula, with several planets". (This is not unique, or very exciting).
Good example: "An unusually light black hole of only one-tenth stellar mass is found at the center of this vivid blue-green nebula. Ringed gas giants provide a scenic back drop for visitors looking for good pictures."
Putting It Together
Here are some recent examples of excellent descriptions on submissions:
From roboteconomist: "First discovered by William Herschel in 1784, NGC 7662 (also known as the Blue Snowball) is a relatively easy to observe planetary nebula that has been popular with casual astronomers for nearly 1,500 years. Originally believed to be only 0.3 light years in diameter and 1,800 light years away from Sol, astronomical surveys in the 20th Century determined that it was more than twice as large and distant. In addition to the Wolf-Rayet star at its core, the nebula also features Class V and Class IV gas giants -- with a metal-rich moon orbiting the Class IV giant -- and a ringed lava world.
The nebula is in an area with low star density more than 1,600 light years below the galactic plane and, consequently, is only accessible via a neutron star-aided jump from PREIA EOCK KU-M D8-0 using a ship with a jump range of 62 light years or more -- and even then, it is currently a one-way trip."
From Deathbane: "Located in the Far 3kpc Arm, and only approximately 770 light years from the 'Dance of Cerberus' system, this stunning, extremely luminous purple blue nebula is worth a visit for the amazing view of its dominant, central black hole. The system also sports a Type G Star around which no less than seven planets orbit. Three of these are terraforming candidates - one of them being a water world with suspected carbon based life already present. Several of the planets show evidence of having surface deposits of yttrium, and there is also evidence of surface volcanism that requires further study. It is thought that this system is a brother to the black hole being of the same age (256 million years~) - one stars death breathing life into another.
This system was marked on universal cartographics by several commanders, first being discovered by CMDR Henk and CMDR Big Bad Lynx. The system however remained neglected from a full survey, until it was completed by CMDR Deathbane and CMDR Zweistein on the return leg of the Mercury 7 Expedition."
From Hawkflight: "An amazing, yet dangerous system, Ghadamon consists of five black holes and a neutron star in a delicate dance, including a particularly massive black hole weighing in at over 13 solar masses. This system is dangerous to navigate, as the black holes are difficult to see, causing pilots to have to rely on navigational instruments. This fascinating system also includes a planet with several moons, all of which can be touched down upon and include numerous particularly rare resources, including Tin, Tellurium, Molybdenum, Niobium, and Ruthenium, in addition to all of the necessary Jumponium materials. Be warned, however, that the central landable planet has a gravity of 2.86G, making it difficult to land upon."
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Finally, if you need help with writing a good description, feel free to post here and ask for help!