Star Cluster
A Star Cluster or star cloud is a group of stars. There are two types of star clusters: Globular Clusters and Open Clusters. Globular Clusters are a tight group of hundreds or thousands of stars, which are gravitationally bound.
There are a variety of star clusters in Elite Dangerous that contain rich survey data opportunities.
Trumpler 16
Trumpler 16 is the home of WR 25 (not the actual in-game designation), currently the most luminous star known in our Milky Way galaxy, together with the less luminous but more massive and famous Eta Carinae star system and the O2 supergiant HD 93129A (not the actual in-game designation).
Trumpler 16 can be reached by navigating to CPD-59 2574.
Eta Carinae can be located by name, using the search tool.
Trumpler 14
Trumpler 14 is about half a million years old and one of the youngest known star clusters in the galaxy. Due to its location within the inner parts of the Carina Nebula, Trumpler 14 is currently undergoing massive star formation. As a result, the star cluster exhibits many stars of late O to early A spectral type, which are very massive (at least 10 solar masses), short-lived and hot (20000 K).
Trumpler 14 can be reached by navigating to CPD-57 3518.
A class A blue supergiant can be located near the cluster by navigating to HD 91969.
Messier 67
Messier 67 (also known as M67, NGC 2682, or the Cancri Cluster) is an open cluster in the constellation of Cancer.
The cluster had previously been out of reach, due to the 219 light-year gap between OUTOTCH SA-U D4-O and AH CANCRI. However, due to a recent discovery of a massive FSD boost via neutron star, what is known as the "Cancri Climb" became possible. M67 does not contain any neutron stars and thus the trip home is currently impossible.
Messier 67 can be found by searching for NGC 2682 FBC 4778.
NGC 3590
NGC 3590 is a small open cluster of stars located in the constellation of Carina (the Keel) and is roughly 35 million years old.
NGC 3590 can be reached by navigating to 2MASS J11130656-6047542.
Pleiades Nebula
The Pleiades (also known as the Seven Sisters, Messier 45, or M45), is an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars that have formed within the last 100 million years. It is located in the constellation of Taurus.
The cluster is at the centre of excitement due to the discovery of intelligent alien life.
The Pleiades can be reached by navigating to Pleiades, which will bring you to Maia. There, you can find the only space station available in the area.
Objects near the Nebula
- Iota Andromedae is a star in the constellation Andromeda. It is approximately 500 LYs from Earth.
- Taurus Dark Region.
- 39 Delta Persei black hole.
Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 LYs across. It is one of the most scrutinized and photographed objects in the night sky and is among the most intensely studied celestial features. The Orion Nebula contains a very young open cluster, known as the Trapezium due to the asterism (any pattern of stars recognized in the Earth's night sky) of its primary four stars.
There are seven star clusters associated with the nebulae in the Orion region:
- Trapezium
- NGC 1981
- Collinder 70
- Collinder 69
- NGC 1976
- NGC 1977
- NGC 2232
Trapezium |
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| The Trapezium or Orion Trapezium Cluster, also known by its Bayer designation of Theta Orionis, is a tight open cluster of stars in the heart of the Orion Nebula, in the constellation of Orion. It is a relatively young cluster that has formed directly out of the parent nebula and may be a sub-component of the larger Orion Nebula Cluster.
This star cluster is most readily identifiable by the asterism of four relatively bright stars for which it is named. The four are often identified as A, B, C, and D in order of increasing right ascension. The brightest of the four stars is C, or Theta Orionis C. |
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NGC 1981 |
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| NGC 1981 is a young, bright open cluster visible in the constellation of Orion. It is a collection of about 20 or so stars (largely magnitudes 7 through 10) and is about 40 LYs closer to Earth than the Orion Nebula. | |
Collinder 70 |
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| Collinder 70 is a large open cluster, located around the belt of Orion. It includes all three belt stars: Mintaka (the Girdle), Alnilam (The string of Pearls) and Alnitak (the Belt). The cluster has a diameter of almost 3 degrees and consists of 100 stars or more. | |
Collinder 69 |
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| Collinder 69 is an open star cluster located north-west of the star Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion. It is about five million years old and roughly 1,300 ly (400 pc) away from the Sun. Included within the cluster is a double star named Meissa. | |
NGC 1976 |
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| The Orion Nebula. | |
NGC 1977 |
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| This reflection nebula, also known as the Running Man Nebula, is located in the constellation of Orion about 1,500 light years from Earth. | |
NGC 2232 |
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| NGC 2232 is a bright open star cluster in the constellation Monoceros centered on the star 10 Monocerotis.
It consists of about 20 stars. |
Navigation
- These group of clusters can be found by navigating to HD 36560.
- Theta Orionis C can be found using the search feature on the galaxy map.
- NGC 1981 can be found by navigating to NGC 1981 Sector YZ-Y C11. A class A Blue Supergiant can be found near this cluster by navigating to HD 37660.
Both Collinder 70 and 69 are particularly difficult to make out in the rich star-field found in the Orion Nebula. The most noticeable clustering of these stars are possible to find through the following:
- Collider 70 can be reached by navigating to COL 70 SECTOR MR-U C3-8.
- Collinder 69 can be reached by navigating to DM99 8.
- Mintaka and Alnitak can be found by searching for them via the galaxy map.
- NGC 2232 can be found by navigating to 10 Monocerotis.
Objects near the Nebula
- IC 418 (also known as the Spirograph Nebula), is a planetary nebula in the Milky Way Galaxy. It can be reached by navigating to BD-12 1172.
- The carbon star R Leporis, sometimes called Hind's Crimson Star, is a well-known variable star in the constellation Lepus, near its border with Eridanus. R Leporis can be found by navigating to R Leporis.
- IC 2118 (also known as the Witch Head Nebula due to its shape) is an extremely faint reflection nebula believed to be an ancient supernova remnant or gas cloud illuminated by nearby supergiant star Rigel in Orion. The Witch Head Nebula can be reached by navigating to the Witch Head Nebula.
- The nebula Messier 78 (also known as M 78 or NGC 2068) is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion. It can be found by navigating to Messier 78.
- NGC 1999 is a dust-filled bright nebula with a vast hole of empty space represented by a black patch of sky, as can be seen in the photograph. It is a reflection nebula, and shines from the light of the variable star V380 Orionis.
- v615 Orionis.
- The Running Man Nebula, Barnard's Loop, The Horsehead Nebula, the Flame Nebula, the Horsehead Dark Region, and the Orion Dark Region are all clearly visible within this region.
NGC 7822 Nebula
NGC 7822 is a young star forming complex in the constellation of Cepheus. The complex also includes one of the hottest stars discovered within 1 kpc of the Sun, within an eclipsing binary system. The star is one of the primary sources illuminating the nebula and shaping the complex famed pillars of creation-type formations, the elephant trunks.
NGC 7822 can be found by navigating to S171 33.
NGC 1893
NGC 1893 is an open cluster in the constellation Auriga.
"This is an open cluster of class B stars. As such it is nothing especially remarkable except that it sits within the sparsely populated rift within the Outer Arm Vacuus, thus making them really stand out against the sparsely populated backdrop. The cluster requires an engineered frameshift drive or the use of FSD boosts to reach."
NGC 1893 can be found by navigating to NGC 1893 CF 43.
NGC 2099
NGC 2099 (also known as M37 or Messier 37) is the richest open cluster in the constellation Auriga. It is a widely dispersed open cluster situated on the far side of the Orio-Persean Gap, approx. 4,200 LYs from Sol.
NGC 2099 can be found by navigating to NGC 2099 PPM 27.
IC 1590
IC 1590 is an open cluster in Cassiopeia. It is a part of emission nebula NGC 281 ("PacMan Nebula") and includes the multiple star HD 5005, and several Bok globules (dark nebulae).
IC 1590 is nestled within NGC 281. Within the heart of the nebula is the likely candidate for the multiple star HD 5005, which has 4 O-Type stars.
These objects can be reached by navigating to BD+55 191.
The Jewel Box
The Jewel Box (Kappa Crucis Cluster or NGC 4755) is an open cluster in the constellation Crux. This cluster is one of the youngest known, with an estimated age of 14 million years, and is considered one of the finest objects in the southern sky.
The Jewel Box can be found by navigating to NGC 4755 MG 215.
Gallery
- Trumpler 16
- Trumpler 14
- Messier 67
- NGC 3590
- Pleiades
- Orion Nebula
- NGC 1981
- Collinder 70
- Collinder 69
- NGC 7822 Nebula
- NGC 1983
- NGC 2232
- NGC 2099
- IC 1590
- The Jewel Box