Horizons Determining mineral content from planetary coloration

[Thorberg Shavestroke]

Has anyone found a way to determine surface mineral content or percentage from planetary coloration?

EDIT: More specifically...Does 3.0 planet coloration indicate where on the surface the highest concentrations of mineral content can be found?

 

[D.D.Hariman]

Has anyone found a way to determine surface mineral content or percentage from planetary coloration?

I think it may have been possible in the early versions, but since all planets are basically mud colored now, the only sure way is a Detailed Surface Scanner.

 

[Thorberg Shavestroke]

I think it may have been possible in the early versions, but since all planets are basically mud colored now, the only sure way is a Detailed Surface Scanner.

Frontier listed this as one of the 3.0 updates, "The colouration of the surfaces now more clearly telegraphs the chemical makeup and volcanic activity of the worlds"

 

[Lightspeed]

I think it may have been possible in the early versions, but since all planets are basically mud colored now, the only sure way is a Detailed Surface Scanner.

I don't think you can have visited many planets lately

Frontier listed this as one of the 3.0 updates, "The colouration of the surfaces now more clearly telegraphs the chemical makeup and volcanic activity of the worlds"

The planet coloration is supposed to represent the chemical makeup, but it does not yet identify where on the planet you will find those chemicals. The scanning and scooping in the SRV is still based on a broad RNG not restricted to a particular patch of color on the planet.

We are anticipating this will change in Q4, but have heard no further word about this, so far.

As far as geological features are concerned, I haven't seen reports that anyone has managed to tie the color patches in with things like geysers, fumaroles, etc.; they are still difficult to spot above about 6km from the surface.

 

[D.D.Hariman]

I don't think you can have visited many planets lately
.

All I do is visit planets. I am an Explorer. Here is a System I recently surveyed and where I am currently at loading up on stuff and doing planetary salvage. >>>>> https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XBE6vMXoWruZwbQLwln3ataMtZkAKa9b

In this system there are:
4 - 100% metal bodies.
12 - 32+% metal bodies.
Only one is body "volcanic" but even though I spent several days on the surface I didn't see any.

Can you identify all 4 of the 100% metal bodies?
Can you identify the only volcanic body?
Some of the 12 are just barely 32% and some are nearly 35%. Can you find the higher metal content ones?

When I first started playing the game, there were very clear color differences between 100%, 34+%, 25-33%, 20-24% and everything less than 20%.

Not anymore.
-------------------------------edit-----------
This system has all 25 of the surface materials.
See the percentages here >>>>> https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Z7OJVfT-4EbJh3NiCU0ljwEDJATjCQgAyB2fkFaYFNo

If it was above 32% I just listed it as 30+

Here is the prize.

If you can correctly identify all 4 100% bodies and the single low metal body, I will PM you the system name so you will have a place to go do surface mining and planetary salvage. The Bases have everything except a shipyard and a black market. There are two different factions and they have different prohibited lists.

There is a black Market correction.

 

[Lightspeed]

All I do is visit planets. I am an Explorer. Here is a System I recently surveyed and where I am currently at loading up on stuff and doing planetary salvage. >>>>> https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XBE6vMXoWruZwbQLwln3ataMtZkAKa9b

In this system there are:
4 - 100% metal bodies.
12 - 32+% metal bodies.
Only one is body "volcanic" but even though I spent several days on the surface I didn't see any.

Can you identify all 4 of the 100% metal bodies?
Can you identify the only volcanic body?
Some of the 12 are just barely 32% and some are nearly 35%. Can you find the higher metal content ones?

When I first started playing the game, there were very clear color differences between 100%, 34+%, 25-33%, 20-24% and everything less than 20%.

Not anymore.
-------------------------------edit-----------
This system has all 25 of the surface materials.
See the percentages here >>>>> https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Z7OJVfT-4EbJh3NiCU0ljwEDJATjCQgAyB2fkFaYFNo

If it was above 32% I just listed it as 30+

Here is the prize.

If you can correctly identify all 4 100% bodies and the single low metal body, I will PM you the system name so you will have a place to go do surface mining and planetary salvage. The Bases have everything except a shipyard and a black market. There are two different factions and they have different prohibited lists.

Right, I was wrong. You clearly have a lot of exploration experience, so apologies to you. It's because I am confused by your statement that you believe "all planets are basically mud colored now." They may be mud, but they are a lot of different colors from purple to red, and that's just the non-icy landables !

 

[D.D.Hariman]

Right, I was wrong. You clearly have a lot of exploration experience, so apologies to you. It's because I am confused by your statement that you believe "all planets are basically mud colored now." They may be mud, but they are a lot of different colors from purple to red, and that's just the non-icy landables !

Yes. I have started seeing more variation in the ON surface colors.. But, as can be seen in the screenshot, the colors run from barely burn umber to dull grey. Yes, the giant unlandable planets have gotten much more colorful.

 

[Lightspeed]

The landable HMCs look more colorful in ''real life" (from the ship) than in the system map. I suspect the color variation palette for the system map hasn't caught up with the HMC planet adjustments.

 

[D.D.Hariman]

The landable HMCs look more colorful in ''real life" (from the ship) than in the system map. I suspect the color variation palette for the system map hasn't caught up with the HMC planet adjustments.

Hummnn,, Perhaps. But at DSS scanning distance, depending on where the starlight is coming from, it is hard to distinguish the color of small planets and moons while in supercruise.

 

[Lightspeed]

Hummnn,, Perhaps. But at DSS scanning distance, depending on where the starlight is coming from, it is hard to distinguish the color of small planets and moons while in supercruise.

If you 'scan and go' you aren't going to see the changes and variations between planets. You have to get close to enjoy them .....

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