Exploration - 3.1 - Week 48 3077
03 Dec 2021Sumurai8
[27 11 3307 | Location: HIP 97196]
I am prepped and ready to go. I've briefed the carrier crew what to do in my absence and configured relays for bgs objectives. This marks the start of my journey. My plans are to visit a DSS carrier in Hyueths HS-H d11-5, then probably circle around the arm a bit before going towards Colonia. I won't go out in a direct angle towards it, because most systems in that direction have been explored already. Instead I went a bit to the left, where aggregated exploration data shows there should be a gap. I am mostly eyeballing it though, so who knows if I end up far enough in that direction to miss the heavy explored region of space.
[28 11 3307 | Inferred location: Phraa Eaec GN-H b57-3]
Scanned a water world with rings here. The secondary ring of this planet has a wide range of hotspots, with various hotspots overlapping. It has a double Serendibite hotspot at the very least.
[29 11 3307 | Inferred location: Hypio Eaec VR-H d11-9]
Not much has happened the last few days. I have to get back in the habit of journaling regularly as well. It took a while to get out of explored space around the bubble, and to be honest there are not that many habitable planets around here. While doing a detailed scans of bodies of this system I found a body here with 6 lifeforms, so I took some time to scan it and catalogue them.
Interestingly enough the planetary map did identify a species on this planet that the navigation computer failed to classify. It turned out to be a Clypeus Lacrimam, which is known to exist in this region of space. I am guessing it is a glitch in the navigation computer.
In other news, I have taken a new AI on this journey. Previously I talked about taking Astra with me. She is still a real help in notifying me of interesting planets. My new AI is known by the name Helix. He insists on calling me "master", which I have learned to accept as one of the quirks of running experimental AI's on my nav computer. It was never meant to house them, and I probably voided my warranty when I uploaded them in there, but it is what it is. It's nice to have a second voice talking to me once in a while. Astra still takes care of most of the science part of this journey, but Helix nicely fills in for general navigation and landing. I am glad I brought him.
[30 11 3307 | Inferred location: Phroi Hypa VC-I b43-2]
I just jumped into this system and nearly faceplanted into a planet. It's a Class V gas giant only 2.7ls from the star. It has a stupidly fast orbit of 0.3 days. These kind of giants are called hot jupiters, after the planet in Sol. The mass of this planet is comparable to Jupiter in Sol, with it being only marginally higher. With this short of an orbit its mass can't be that much higher, or it would shed that mass due to the forces involved. The planet appears to be slightly hotter than average, with a surface temperature of 1700k. Considering the distance I am surprised it isn't hotter.
A HOT JUPITER TO CALL MY OWN on Inara Gallery
[30 11 3307 | Inferred location: Schee Hypue FW-L b41-0]
My navigation computer just let me know that I found a new kind of planet... the famed Rocky Ice Planet. It can only mean one thing: I have arrived in the Formidine Rift sector. So far it looks the same as the last few systems. I suppose that's what you get when you arbitrarily draw lines in a continuous sea of stars.
[30 11 3307 | Inferred location: Tyrooppy MH-W b49-0]
It took some time to get out of previously explored space, but I seem to be in a patch of space again where no commander has come before... and survived to tell the tale. So far not much of interest though. Only many icy bodies where not even bacteria are able to thrive.
[30 11 3307 | Inferred location: Tyrooppy NH-K b28-0]
I found a nice planet to rest for the night. It is just your regular icy planet, but it has three distinct biological signals and two distinct geological signals on it. One of these signals points to so called Fumarola, a species that thrives on... Fumaroles, geological structures that continuously vent heat. I find it fascinating that on an otherwise cold and frozen planet, live thrives around these little sources of heat.
I found a nice spot overlooking three fumaroles and the galactic core in the sky. This planet has barely any atmosphere, adding to the otherwordly feel of this place. Enjoy the photo.
FUMAROLA NITRIS OVERLOOKING GALACTIC CORE on Inara Gallery
[01 12 3307 | Inferred location: Soascs CO-E a66-0]
I've come into a patch of space with lots of dying stars. I have to keep an eye on scoopable stars, while scanning ice worlds around stars that have started cooling long ago.
[01 12 3307 | Location: Eor Aewsy QW-I b50-0]
When I entered this system, 4 HMC's around the primary star all showed up automatically. Apparently they all have orbital periods of less than 6 days. With the cloest being 1.1 day. Their distances are between 7 and 23 ls.
[01 12 3307 | Inferred location: Eorld Hypa ER-D c15-1]
Waypoint reached. Well sort-of. Had to divert 3 jumps from my previous random waypoint, because there were no scoopable stars before I ran out of fuel. From here on out I will make my way to the DSS carrier to sign the guestbook.
[01 12 3307 | Inferred location: Sphuezz TA-W c15-3]
To keep up with the tradition I have stopped on a planet with biological life. I don't have the energy to get out there and scan them today, but at least I have some form of gravity while sleeping tonight.
[02 12 3307 | Inferred location: Sphuenns DT-F b38-0]
Kepler's Crest sector reached. If it weren't for the carrier that I was going to visit, I would have turned around already. There's nothing here. Just void. Death. Ice, if you are lucky. Just 35 jumps to the carrier. Then lets find out how to get out of this patch of space as fast as possible.
[02 12 3307 | Inferred location: Hyueths DJ-V a84-0]
That bloody nav computer would have let me get stranded again if I didn't double check its resolution. No scoopable stars within the next few jumps... Is it trying to get me killed?
[02 12 3307 | Location: Hyueths HS-H d11-5]
Made it to the official Dogs of Lore DSSA carrier. That's one more item off my bucket list. Last time I went exploring I wanted to visit as well, but I didn't want to go through system after system that was already explored by other commanders. That exploration trip eventually took me to Sag A*.
The number of systems that have been explored by other commanders has been surprisingly low with the route I took, but to be honest both Kepler's Crest and Formidine Rift have been boring. There are so many T-type and Y-type stars in this region of space, only surrounded by icy planets. Instead of doubling back I am going to plot a course to the Elysian Shore sector. I will go through a region of space that has been heavily explored, so I will likely go through it at a rapid pace. It will be worth it in the end though. Once I am there I can meander around with hopefully a lot more variety in stars and planets, until I eventually visit Colonia.
O9 TO YOU, LEO'S VISION on Inara Gallery
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