The Beetle Burial Grounds is a region roughly 1,200 light years in diameter centered around Beetle Nebula, with a high density of carbon stars and red giants. These giants are not distributed equally or randomly, but rather spread out in a series of lines leading from Beetle Nebula.

It appears Beetle Nebula's gases formed as a result from a very violent series of events roughly 12.9 billion years ago, indicating that the gases forming Beetle Nebula were once much larger and more dense. The SHEPARD Mission found a pattern between aging stars stretching outwardly in a line into the Beetle Burial Grounds, and the nebula itself. The Carbon Stars and Red Giants of the Burial Grounds share similar ages with other stars in the nebula - indicating they were all formed at the same location using the same ejected star dust from the explosions.

Further observation and measurements of black holes and neutron stars within the nebula have also indicated that the Beetle Nebula might have been a huge ancient cluster of stars. Formed near the beginning of the Milky Way 13 billion years ago, this has subsequently turned into a graveyard of Black Holes, Neutron Stars and White Dwarfs. It is likely that this violent past of supernovas actually jettisoned the Carbon Stars and Red Giants of the Beetle Burial Grounds from the Beetle Nebula itself.

Links:

• Galactic Mapping Project
• S.H.E.P.A.R.D Mission
• 'SHEPARD Chronicles' entry on the Beetle Burial Grounds