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How to Use the Starmap

The starmap supports touch, mouse, trackpad, and keyboard navigation. Select a system or object to open its record. Selecting two systems measures the spatial distance between them and emphasizes their mapped routes.

On a phone or tablet

  • Drag with one finger to move across the map.
  • Pinch to zoom in or out.
  • Tap a system or object to inspect it. Tap a selected object again to clear it.
  • Double-tap a system to enter its detailed system view.
  • Use the × button to close the record panel and clear the current selection.

With a mouse or trackpad

  • Drag to pan and scroll to zoom while the map is focused.
  • Click a system or object to inspect it.
  • Double-click a system to enter its detailed system view.

With a keyboard

Focus the map, then use [ and ] to browse systems, Enter to enter the selected system, and Escape to clear the selection. The zoom, interstellar-view, and full-screen controls are keyboard accessible.

Reading the map

The interstellar view shows regional locations, boundaries, and mapped hyperlanes. Zooming into a recorded stellar system reveals its representative stellar and orbital layout. Select two regional systems to measure their spatial distance. The visible network is selective rather than exhaustive; the astronomy and map scope reference explains what the archive includes.