NGC 3199 is a large emission nebula on the edge of the Orion Spur Shallows, far beyond the Eta Carina nebula. Although dubbed the "Banana Nebula" by early astronomers it has also been described as a red bird when seen from certain angles.

NGC 3199 is thought to have been created by a Wolf-Rayet star which was known as WR 18 in early stellar cartography but which seems to have gone missing (1) ever since. It's possible the star reverted back to its original B-type classification after having shed enough of its stellar mass in violent outbursts.

There are a good number of young protostars in or near the globules of the nebula which hints at active star formation processes taking place.

The nebula and its surrounding area were extensively explored and surveyed during a long-range mission along the Orion Spur in March 3301. In the fall of 3301 the nebula was revisited by the Sagittarius-Carina Mission, and later by the SHEPARD Mission in 3302.

During these expeditions (and certainly many more) the area has been thoroughly surveyed by planetside SRV teams. They have discovered a large variety of geological features.

The NGC 3199 Sector is also home to a large variety of stellar crystal phenomena of all types: metallic, ice, silicate - and large populations of Bullet Molluscs. Despite their small size and relative harmlessness, some species exhibit territorial traits in that they "defend" their terrain with electromagnetic pulses. These pulses can interfere with ship systems and cause slight damage, so explorers are advised to be cautious when approaching these molluscs.

In addition to its geological and xeno-biological significance, a number of Guardian ruins has been discovered in recent years. The archaeological importance of these discoveries lead to a separate entry in the GEC.

Travel information: There is a DSSA carrier, the "Kraut", sitting nearby in the NGC 3199 Sector XJ-A d10 system, providing vital services for deep space explorers in the area.

(1) Game information: The nebula creating Wolf Rayet star WR 18 can be found as CD-57 312 (or HD 89358) in the game and it's located some 8,000ly away from NGC 3199. It's assumed it's one of the catalogue star oddities when they were integrated into the game.