how do I find undiscovered systems

[Hueser]

I am about 700 LY from my starting point in LHS 3447 and am reaching the end of my jump range because the systems are so spread out. Every single system I come to has the unexplored tag but it shows that it has been discovered by some other commander. My question is, Can I jump to unexplored systems or are all the ones on the galaxy map already discovered? and if they are how do I find undiscovered ones? I can't the answer to this anywhere.

Also I notice that the systems this far out are much more spread out than the ones in populated space. Is this because the systems in between haven't been discovered yet or are they just less dense this far out?

I have the surface scanner and the basic discovery scanner along with a setup that lets me jump about 26LY if that helps to answer my question somehow.

 

[Will of the Warrior]

The closer you are to civilized space the more discovered systems you'll find. Also areas around nebulas and other neat places on the map may have already been founded. Try other areas, move above or below the galactic plane, or venture out further to find completely undiscovered territory. (Don't forget to bring a fuel scoop.) Only a tiny fraction of the 400 billion or so systems have been discovered so don't get discouraged.

 

[Four40]

Don't lose hope, you will be swimming in undiscovered systems in no time. I've reached a point where I am happy to see a system already discovered. Mind you I have been out in the black for a while.

 

[NVNM]

Never go for galactic landmarks like nebulae, they attract way too many people. The more boring a piece of space looks, the higher the likelihood of you being the first to go there. Sad but true.

 

[iain666]

Never go for galactic landmarks like nebulae

If, and only if, you are interested in nothing more than tagging systems.

If you want to see sights that make your jaw drop then, well, those landmarks are well visited for a reason...

 

[Lupin]

I have found that you need to be at least 500LY+ from civilized space before you start to find more undiscovered systems.

Also do not head to popular places or if you do pick a different starting point.

I always look for a station close to the edge of civilized space to make repairs, remove armor and refit for exploring. So station needs to have outfitters.
E.g. I started at Guan Zana when I headed for Sagittarius A*.

Hope this helps.

 

[Iron Orchid]

Recently I've found a few undiscovered system within 200ly of Sol, one had had the main star discovered and the planets undiscovered and the other one had the second star and system undiscovered. There was a a good reason for the second one it was a long way away.

 

[Klab]

Try going up above the galactic plane or far below it. Usually there are plenty of undiscovered systems in these areas.

 

[KTC]

With only a basic scanner, you're really limiting your ability to find undiscovered objects. There are a lot of systems out there where only part of the systems are tagged, either because previous visitors only have basic or inter scanner and didn't find the objects further out (manually or via scan), or they didn't bother scanning it because they are far out or merely icy rock planets.

I've only been around a few weeks and I've been the first discover of an object in a system within one jump from a station on the edge of occupied space.

As to your other question, the map is the entire galaxy. Density of stars are different in different parts, that's why in some area they are further apart than others.

 

[popuptoaster]

You just picked the wrong direction, I went straight downwards from Empire space on Sunday and was finding unvisited systems from about 300ly out.

 

[Zenith]

Try going up above the galactic plane or far below it. Usually there are plenty of undiscovered systems in these areas.

Being 700ly out and already finding the separation to be a problem means Hueser has probably headed above or below the galactic plane already.

Hueser, the system shows as Unexplored to you (even though someone else has first discovery on it) but you should still scan the stars and planets if there's lots of them or something interesting. So you don't get the first discovered bonus, but you still get the payout for scanning objects when you sell you data back home.

 

[Deepfriedmal]

You can't be very far from your goal at the moment, as previously stated just keep heading in the same direction and you will soon be there.
not sure what you have equipped but you really need the Advance Discovery scanner as this will give you all things within the system (find quite a lot further than 1000ls away are unclaimed), a good fuel scoop and a decent FSD for those longer jumps when needed. If you are finding lots of systems still claimed try going by the fastest route in your galaxy map and doing a couple of long jumps in a random direction as it may just be that you are following the norm, then search for a little bit. If you are desperate to find undiscovered, try a T star system as these are mostly just icy or rocks and most explorers will leave them alone for the more lucrative ones.
Good luck Commander

 

[NVNM]

Try going up above the galactic plane or far below it. Usually there are plenty of undiscovered systems in these areas.

I haven't had much luck with going straight down from Lembava. Since the star density decreases the farther down you go it becomes more likely to encounter discovered systems, ironically.

 

[who?]

I've found undiscovered bodies (not entire systems) just 1 jump out from populated space.

The first time I did a "big" trip (went about 700Ly out, seemed big at the time) I headed out to a small nebula IC 4604, turned "right" and jumped 4 or 5 systems and eventually started finding undiscovered bodies. When I turned and headed for home, I started finding a few undiscovered systems - I nearly always find better stuff on the way back than on the way out!

The one thing to avoid - anywhere near Barnard's Loop. There's a big cluster of nebulae and star clusters in that area, and it's close to populated space, so EVERYONE seems to go there. Even the tiny rocky/icy planets 400,000 Ls out are all tagged. I've probably gone > 100 systems without seeing a single untagged planet or star.

The general advice - zoom out maybe 1,000 Ly into random space, click on the dullest system you can find (no nebulae or clusters nearby), fly there. If you don't find anything, turn in a random direction and start flying, and you'll soon find something. Most people are fanning out from populated space, so "going against the grain" is more likely to yield virgin systems.

 

[NVNM]

I've had great luck with going "north-east" from the bubble, or trailing coreward if you will. There are no nebulae, but some neutron stars and lots of undiscovered systems.

 

[CMDR DoubleSkulls]

Going in a fairly arbitrary direction in 3 dimensions out of the bubble should result in a hit fairly quickly. So don't go straight up/down/north/south/east/west but a bit of 3 of them (e.g. up a bit, north a bit, east a bit). I did this last time out and, without trying, found a completely untagged system ~350 ly from Sol.

 

[Dommarraa]

I have spent the last couple of days bimbling around the edge of the bubble, looking for decent mining opportunities. Out of 100 systems, I was surprised to find I had about 10 First Discovery ! They were only Roids, so I got a massive 0 credits, but if it is you name in lights you are after, no need to go more than 100ly away from a station.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

On my way back to inhaibted space to sell my data, and today i've had a very nice run of undiscovered planets, all within 1000LY of Sol.

800LY from Sol - Earthlike
650LY from Sol - Paired water worlds, both candidates for terraforming with life.
550LY from Sol - 2 (separate) water worlds, one a candidate for terraforming.

All systems were not discovered, so i get my names on those, although i left most of the systems not properly scanned because rushing back, but slowed down enough to get my name on those. I didn't even pick the stars, just let my navicomp plot the route. One of the finds was even orbiting an M type which is usually low probabability, and another was an F type, and explorers usually scan the hell out of those if they see them.

And nope, not giving system names out before i get back Will post screenies perhaps tomorrow in a separate thread, after i've got back.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Heading in random directions I've never had to go more than 250ish LY from Sol to find an undiscovered object - though they're often ones which you'd never find with a basic discovery scanner. (On one trip I got a bit unlucky with my direction and was 350 LY out before I found a system with an undiscovered object ... but changing course slightly for the way back I found one at 250ish). At 700LY they'll be all over the place, unless you're in a nebula.

If you want a completely undiscovered system - or at least one with close undiscovered objects you could pick up, those are trickier. My last trip out found a couple of completely fresh ones around 450 LY from Sol, but only a couple, and a few more with just the primary star discovered. But if you haven't found any at all after 700 LY, then you're probably getting unlucky and exactly following some previous routes - try moving sideways for a bit.

(And as KTC said - if you really want to find a lot, if you come back with the data you already have and sell that, you should be able to afford a better discovery scanner)

 

[KTC]

One thing I just realised in this discussion, how wide is the bubble of occupied space? If OP travelled 700LY, but spent half of it going from one end of occupied space to the other, then the OP isn't actually as far out as most of us assumed.