Cool Starmap Resource

[Onix]

I'm working on a near future space opera and as I'm dealing with fairly hard science fiction, I realized I needed a real life star map. I found http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/starmaps/mapindex.php#winch which has a bunch of resources. I was amazed by how many stars there are within 15 parsecs of Sol (998!).

The map size I need is too complex for what I want to do but it gives me a good start point.

Best of all, the maps are open for use in games, the author just asks that you credit him, but doesn't even require it. What a great guy!

[maledictus]

Very exciting! Even more so when you consider that earth-like planets are way more common than we used to think.