I got to the end of the main mission, sort of
is it actually possible to get to the center of the galaxy? do you actually have to travel ~650,000 light years? or is there an easier way that I’m missing
have you done it?
Did you make it to The Purge, or have you completed the Artemis questline entirely? If you are presented with an ATLAS sequence counter, you haven't completed the questline yet. It will increase every time you travel to a new star system. You don't actually have to travel in any particular direction.
uhhhhh, I got to the point where I learn that the universe is dying and that I can go to the center of the galaxy to purge it, I don’t know what the ATLAS sequence counter is
That means you haven't completed the questline yet. Every time you travel to any new star system, the counter will increase and you will gain a portal glyph. Once the counter reaches 16, a portal to the final Atlas interface will be revealed.