Voyage of the Stars

Compared with ordinary stars, neutron stars are easier to use for positioning because their rotation period is quite stable.

Of course, humans must find neutron stars that have been recorded before. If they cannot find familiar neutron stars or stars, humans are likely to get lost in the starry sky.

There are countless dangers in the universe. If you cannot identify your location, it will undoubtedly be very dangerous.

As for positioning, it sounds simple, but in fact it is not easy at all.

Because humans have been led by the Awakened Ones for ten years and are no longer near the previous solar system. In other words, many pulsars that humans observed in the Earth era are no longer observable.

As we all know, the reason why a pulsar is called a pulsar is because the magnetic poles at both ends of the neutron star do not coincide with its axis of rotation. The high-speed self-propagation causes its magnitude to sweep through the starry sky like a flashlight beam, so periodic pulse signals will be detected.

The pulse period of a neutron star is different at every moment. Therefore, as long as a certain pulsar signal is detected, humans can determine which neutron star it is in the star map, and then use Cepheid variable stars to measure the distance. After finding multiple pulsars and knowing their distance from you, you can determine your location.

However, the star field swept by the pulsar beam is fixed. Now humans have moved far away from the original star field. This means that the pulsars observed before may not be observed now, because humans have left the field swept by the original pulsar pulse. Star field.

So in this case, many or even all familiar pulsars will disappear from human radio telescopes, and many unfamiliar pulsars will appear in radio telescopes.

Unfamiliar pulsars naturally cannot be used for positioning, so astronomers almost always pray to observe a few familiar pulsars after starting their radio telescopes.

As long as three familiar pulsars are found, humans can complete the positioning.

After the positioning is completed, it is not over. Astronomers must also update human star maps based on the completed positioning, incorporate many newly emerged pulsars into the database, and then add black holes and pulsars that were previously observed but cannot be observed now. Mark them all on the star map.

In fact, humans have been doing the work of updating star maps. Almost every time a voyage from one star system to another is completed, humans will make an observation and then update the star map.

It's just that now that the awakened person has suddenly arrived in the unknown star field, this situation of difficulty in positioning has arisen. It is a step that is too big and it hurts the egg.

I don’t know if the awakener forgot this issue and didn’t tell the humans where they were taken. In short, humans are in a bit of trouble now.

In a certain scientific research ship, the astronomy working group headed by Gander has about seventy astronomy experts, but now their brows are furrowed, and in front of them are sets of equipment, and the screens inside the equipment are streaming. There are groups of data that ordinary people cannot understand.

"Old Gan, the situation is not good." A very young-looking doctor of astronomy wearing scientific research uniforms came to Gan De's side, and the worry in his words was clearly evident.

Another professor also echoed: "Yeah, if the positioning thing can't be solved, we will probably go back."

Gander was silent. He glanced at the two people who were talking, and then looked up at the big screen on the bulkhead in front, where a star map was displayed.

No, maybe not a star map, but a picture of a starry sky.

The reason why I say it is not a star map is because there will be many annotations on the star map, including but not limited to star names, types, hidden black holes, pulsars, and demonstrations of the range of the pulsar poles.

The most important thing is the current location of human beings, but the star map in front of him now only has the star type.

Obviously, this is the starry sky captured by humans through detection methods such as optical telescopes and radio telescopes.

It is now the third day of star map update work, and they still have not found a familiar pulsar.

Looking at the unfamiliar starry sky in front of him, Gan De felt as if he was in an endless sea, filled with yellow sand and yellow sand dunes everywhere.

Humanity, it seems, is truly lost.

"Professor Lu, import our original star map into the system and let the 'Light of the Galaxy' compare the models to see if we can find our position through comparison." Gander turned to look at the professor who had just spoken to him.

"It's not like we don't have any data." Gander projected the original star map onto the screen, and then started to operate it, slightly zooming in on the original star map.

Then he pointed to a certain position on the star chart and continued: "Let's see, this position is where we met the Awakener. Although we don't know the direction in which the Awakener takes us, we do know the speed and navigation. time."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pressed a certain button, then pointed to the original star map where a virtual sphere had appeared: "We are on this sphere now, we just don't know where exactly we are."

At this time, a researcher nodded and said: "Academician Gan, I think this hemisphere can be excluded."

"Oh? Reason!" Gander pondered.

The researcher pointed to the location of the solar system in the original star map, and then pointed to the location of the battlefield that humans had previously judged from the gravitational wave signal, and said: "Since the Awakener said he was going to take us out of this battlefield area, he couldn't start from the beginning Just go in the direction of the battlefield, so it can only be this hemisphere."

Gander nodded and agreed with this statement, but the range of a hemisphere was still too large, and the star map could not be roughly positioned, otherwise he would probably continue to get lost.

In fact, humans can of course go directly to the star system near where they are now, and then continue to choose the next star system, but doing so is wandering.

"Lao Gan, look!"

At this moment, a voice drew Gander's attention, and he saw an astronomer pointing excitedly at the unknown starry sky: "Do you think this looks like the Ursa Major constellation, and do these seven stars look a little bit different?" Like Beidou!”

Beidou, Big Dipper.

The Big Dipper seen in the Earth's star field is basically connected into a spoon shape. But after changing the position, there is no spoon, and the star's luminosity will also change, but the spectrum will not change.

Gander looked at where the astronomer was pointing. There were nine stars there. Although the shape of a spoon could no longer be seen, judging from the spectral data, they completely matched the Big Dipper.

"Yes, these nine stars must be the Big Dipper." Gander said happily.

There are nine Big Dipper stars, that’s right.

This is because when the new humans made the star map, they also marked the two stars in the Big Dipper that are invisible to the naked eye on the star map, and also named these two stars.

Once you find the Big Dipper, you can find the North Star.

Although the brightest star in the starry sky is no longer the North Star at the current location of the new humans, through spectral comparison, the North Star will soon be found.

With this data, even if a familiar pulsar is not found, new humans can still accurately locate their position and then update the star map.

It seems that the star map updates and location positioning issues that have troubled mankind have finally come to an end.

While the team of astronomers was updating the star map, another team was also observing nearby stars.

Although the detector has not flown yet, you can pre-select the target first. Anyway, the target is not too far away and must be one of the nearest stars.