earth like planets

[Commander Pickle]

For the explorers out there...is there any type of common location for finding earth-like planets in systems? Scientifically speaking, I'm aware there are certain temperatures and distances that suit earth-like planets. Distances from the sun, gravity and star type/heat all play a part in real life.

Anyone know if this carries over to the game and, if so, what the criteria for locating them is?

 

[Don Alvarez]

Anyone know if this carries over to the game and, if so, what the criteria for locating them is?

In a word....Luck.

 

[shadowwar]

There are a few water worlds around and about but as Don Alvarez says good luck! I have scanned 2590 systems and found no Earth Like worlds.

 

[Commander Pickle]

Wow I had no idea they were so rare in Elite. Supposedly there are around 2 billion in the real galaxy.

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Just curious...how much did all that exploring get you in profit?

 

[DuQuesne]

It's not an entirely accurate rule, but generally showing you're going to want to focus on G, F & K star types if your objective is to find Earth likes. Basically, the closer you are to a Sol like star, the more likely to get an Earth like planet.

There are exceptions. I found one orbiting a red dwarf for example, though it was in a multi-star system so there would be additional heat/light from the primary star.

 

[Fen Harel]

When I have been out looking specifically for earth-likes I stick with G and F. ELWs are very possible around other stellar types, but, from my experience, sticking with G and K gives the highest chance of finding earth-likes.

 

[Archimedes Crew]

That sounds like v bad luck. I explored around 9000 systems and must have found about 30 earth like worlds only three or four of which had been previously discovered.

I think F, A and O type star sytems have best chance of earth like and water worlds, but you can find them in M, K too.

Top two tips: don't explore all random systems in a navigation route. Instead view the galaxy map by star class and flit from target to target as this is eventually much more productive (keeping to a general direction to avoid visiting the same system twice.)

Secondly, the neutron star fields towards the galaxy centre also (inexplicably) contain earth like worlds, so neutron star farming also gives you a sideline in discovering ELWs.

 

[Aussiedroid]

I agree with the star type recommendations others have put forward. I also found most to be 1-2k ls from the star as a very loose rule of thumb - the Goldilock zone must be around there somewhere depending on the size/temp of star.

 

[gooddoc]

Currently Im on my way back from the core. Iv found 14 ELWs, 11 of them haven't been 'tagged' yet!

I found 2 ELWs (plus WW) orbiting a Neutron Star.

Curiously though one of my ELWs is in a system that i can no longer locate on the galaxy map. This is very strange, though i have got a piccy of it, so i can only check it out when i get back to civvy space & sell the data.

But it's just down to luck.

 

[Whiterose]

I have found ELW's around A, F, G, K, M and a Neutron. I have found 53 in total. No secret formula, just explore a lot and about 1:100 to 1:200 systems you will come across an ELW.

 

[Zenith]

For the explorers out there...is there any type of common location for finding earth-like planets in systems? Scientifically speaking, I'm aware there are certain temperatures and distances that suit earth-like planets. Distances from the sun, gravity and star type/heat all play a part in real life.

Anyone know if this carries over to the game and, if so, what the criteria for locating them is?

F, G and K stars like others have mentioned.
I tend to have more luck around single stars and larger stars.
That means F0 - F3, G0 - G3, K0 - K3

Distance away from the star is a big factor (the "Goldilocks Zone") so the bigger/hotter the star, then the Goldilocks Zone is a bit further out.
For a G2 V star like Sol with a surface temp around 6000K, that is around 400-600 ls. Hotter stars make it a bit bigger, cooler stars make it a bit smaller.

You can't tell until you honk your spacehorn in the system.

 

[AnnuverScotinExile]

There are a few water worlds around and about but as Don Alvarez says good luck! I have scanned 2590 systems and found no Earth Like worlds.

You must have very bad luck, or are looking around the wrong sort of systems. I am 907 systems into my current trip (in the Perseus Arm). I have found 11 Earth-likes in those 907 systems (plus 83 Water Worlds, 15 Ammonia Worlds and over 50 Neutron Stars). Most of those Earth-like are around Fs and Gs, but I did find a system with two Earth-likes, and that was an M0.

Wow I had no idea they were so rare in Elite. Supposedly there are around 2 billion in the real galaxy.

They are not. 2 billion out of 400 billion system would be one in 200. But those will be not uniform - relatively few near the core, for example. I am seeing roughly 1 in 100.

I have found ELW's around A, F, G, K, M and a Neutron. I have found 53 in total. No secret formula, just explore a lot and about 1:100 to 1:200 systems you will come across an ELW.

Ditto. Though I tend to focus on type Gs. I usually plot one jump at a time (which avoids thing like the brown dwarf systems that the route plotter will take you through which are invariably uninteresting and financially close to worthless). If there is a G system at 30 LY and over in about 'the right direction', then I will pick it. Only when the stars thin out will I even select Fs and Ks in the filtering.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

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[Ism]

You will find certain areas of the galaxy have a higher instance of them but they can be found anywhere. If I see water worlds, I figure I'm in an area of the galaxy that can produce them.
I generally do small routes in economical that include AFGK around those areas.
In dense areas of the galaxy, you could spend a lot of time in a small area and not find anything, but that could be attributed to the vast number of systems available and the scarcity of ELW's.
One thing I wish is there was a "practical" route planning option, (Only route scoopable stars as long as they are within the jump range). I get so sick of brown and red dwarf star patches.
BTW, there is no "goldilocks zone" in ED. I found an ELW around 23Ls from the star if I remember correctly. Way closer than the average 500-1500Ls range.

-Over 50 ELW's discovered.

 

[Chris M Fortune]

If you follow the surface temp profile of pllanets in a single system you will often find it it rather up and down. I think the best way to find high value planets is a combination of understanding the idea of the goldilocks principle in conjunction with understanding the system map.

As an aside I just discovered a pair of terraformables and an eathlike on the outerlimits of a giant carbon star.

 

[streki]

No secret formula, just explore a lot

Pick a destination....say 20,000 Light years away. Honk every system on the way there and on the way back. It's really down to luck, and the total number of systems that you visit. My first trip to the core bagged me 14 Earth-Likes. My second trip has only resulted in 3 Earths. When you find ELWs orbiting a neutron star (and I have) then you realise that they could be almost anywhere.