[XPD 02.02] Exploring the Lagoon Nebula
30 Sep 2022Final Asgard
In order to catalog my journals a bit better, I'm going to start numbering them. This 5K trip is Expedition 02 (the Barnard Loop was 01), and this is the 2nd entry for this trip.Anyway, naming aside, I am having a wonderful time out here in the deep dark. One of my personal goals is to do some amazing astrophotography. I know that I'm not the best photographer out there, but I do say that I think I came up with some amazing photos over the last few days.
First of all, as bulky as the Anaconda looks, it really can look amazing, from certain angles. I got several awesome photos of FA-09 Endurance on planetary approaches.
These last few days I did not do too much exobiology stuff. It takes a lot of work, and tedious search. While that's fun, in limited doses, it is more fun to be the first to step foot on all of these planets, so I would rather spend my time doing that.
However, sometimes I get lucky and find some strange plants right next to where I land.
Another amazing aspect of exploring the galaxy, is how many amazing colors there are out there. I have been attempting to land in that narrow strip where the system's primary star is setting or rising. This "sunrise", if I can find the right place, just looks absolutely stunning. While most of the planets don't have any atmosphere to speak of, so the sunrise is nothing but a bright light on the black horizon, I have been able to identify planets that I think will have an interesting looking sky, and I have not been disappointed.
While Kunkali and I have been exploring out here, I noticed a Nebula about 500 Ly away from our current path, so we took a long detour.
I even got out of my ship, despite the cold, to look around. It's an amazing feeling knowing that you are there, stepping foot on an alien world. IN the entirety of the planet, there is no other life on it. It's just me, and Endurance.
Despite going out on this adventure with Kunkali, we did not get too many photos together this time. We have instead been spending time in neighboring systems, each having fun scanning and discovering what the worlds have to offer, close enough to join up if anything happens, but also not rushing each other or in each other's way. Other than me snipping in and getting a First Footfall in a system where she was getting First Footfalls on every planet... Now my name will reside next to hers.
So far we have made it 4,300 Light Years from Ohm City. Only ~700 Ly to go. Then we will take a right turn at Albuquerque and hop over to another Nebula before heading back home. (No, there isn't a system named Albuquerque, it's an old cartoon reference... I might be loosing my mind being alone in space.)