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Galactography Navigation
The navigation of hyperspatial vessels through galactic spaces is fairly complex, but not impossible for the pilot of the modern starship to master and good maps of various kinds. The general way for navigation to take place is to use Galactographic maps. The most commonly used are the Gravitational Contour maps of sectors, usually plotted on three standard axes; Galactic Equatorial, Sector Main Equatorial and Gravitational Reference. The last of which is really a three-dimensional mathematical model of the relevant sector. All maps are readily available on most worlds at prices set by Interstellar law. The next tool is the Galactic lens; a complete model of the galaxy down to all main class stars on the Hertzprung-Russel Diagram. The Galactic lens accepts input from the ship's navigational sensors to plot current position on the screen. Ship's nearest view may be plotted together with the map and, when views overlap, precise location can be ascertained off the dials. Further recognition may only be acceptable if the projected line spectrum of the star in question matches that of the Galactic lens. By field matching, it is possible for the user of a Galactic lens to determine ship's position with the data of one star, rather than the traditional measurement of 3 stars of known luminosity and line spectra - a process which could take a ship's crew many weeks. The location of a hyperatomic ship is quite important to navigation. Stars perturb hyperatomic paths much in the same way that they perturb comets moving across the starry void. Stars in real space occupy the same positions in hyperatomic space, thus making star maps indispensable. Ship's computers of today must be able to produce plot-outs of projection maps to be considered in any way space worthy. Microfilmed maps are considered to be absolutely necessary on any ship. Perturbation is serious for the hyperatomic ship, as such perturbation may result in the ship's path being disrupted by a star in real space on re-entry, disruption of a Hyperatomic star in H0, or both. Ships tend to stay clear of stars by a factor of a parsec, if possible. Modern gravitic vessels have the ability to calculate micro-jumps with a fair degree of precision when near a star and are the ultimate in hyperatomic transport.
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