Elite Dangerous Wiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Sagittarius A*

2019-01-23T18:14:33Z

86.3.190.19:

{{SystemInfobox
|controller = None
|government = None
|allegiance = None
|population = 0
|security = 0|image = Sagittarius A 2015-09-23 22-32-31.jpg}}
{{quote|Supermassive Black Holes tend to form when an initial Black Hole begins to swallow even more mass including other Black Hole. With time they acquire a vast mass - and become a key compoment of the galaxy. With much of the other galactic mass rotating around them and can be several million solar masses.|In-Game Description}}

'''Sagittarius A*''', often abbreviated as '''Sgr A*''' or "Saga", is a famous system that serves as the exact centre of the galaxy. It is home to the game's only known Supermassive Black Hole, as well as a white star called Source 2. The system is very popular due to its significance as the centre of the galaxy, and is a common destination for [[explorer]]s.

Sagittarius A* is 25,900 light years from Sol. It will take roughly 700 jumps to reach the system with a 35-40ly jump range. The record time for reaching Sagittarius A* is around 8-9 hours of nonstop play and not exploring the systems on the way there. Normally, a voyage to Sagittarius A* and back will take a few weeks to several months, depending on an explorer's pace.
==A Guide to Getting There==
A voyage to Sagittarius A* and back is not easy - in fact, it is sometimes said to be quite dangerous, but if you ping every system with your [[Discovery Scanner]] and explore the ones that look valuable, it can be extremely profitable - you can make several tens of millions from a Sagittarius A* trip.
===The Right Stuff===

If you want to set off on the journey, you need to be equipped properly''':'''
*'''An exploration ship''' - you can't go exploring without having a ship meant for it! [[Diamondback Explorer]]s are particularly recommended for exploration due to their low cost (2 million credits) and very high maximum jump range (34ly). [[Asp Explorer]]s have a higher jump range at 37ly, but they are much more expensive at a price of 6 million credits. [[Anaconda]]s are capable of reaching up to 40ly, but it is extremely expensive. Shorter voyages to other locations like the Orion Nebula can be accomplished in a [[Cobra MkIII]] or a [[Hauler]], however.
*'''Advanced Discovery Scanner''' - most systems, especially systems with hot, white stars, will have objects that are over 1,000 light-seconds away from the star and will not be detected with an Intermediate or Basic scanner.
*'''[[Detailed Surface Scanner]]''' - Detailed surface scans will maximise the amount of credits you can get by scanning objects.
*'''Class D modules''', except [[Frame Shift Drive]] (FSD) - Having Class D modules will increase your jump range, but your FSD must be the best it can possibly be. The best FSDs cost around 4-5 million credits. By the way, if you get worried downgrading your modules to Class D, don't. You don't actually need anything other than Class D (Except your FSD, of course), including [[Life Support]], [[Power Plant]], and [[Thrusters]]. Installing an A-rated smaller Power Plant in some cases might be preferable to a D-rated larger one, due to higher heat efficiency which will make scooping stars a lot easier.
*'''Fuel Scoop '''- there are no stations on the way to Sagittarius A*, which means you'll have to fly into a star's corona to refill your fuel tank. Equip the best one you can afford, you don't want to spend more time next to the star than you absolutely need to.
*Bringing weapons and most utility modules is not recommended! There will probably be no-one around to attack you while exploring, and having weapons or utility slots on board will decrease your jump range. The only utility modules that would be of any use are heat-sinks and shield boosters.
*Shields are useful for preventing damage when landing on planets and for the occasional pirate on return to civilization. Also useful for protection from players who occasionally hang around Sagittarius A* preying on unprotected explorers.
*[[Auto Field-Maintenance Unit]]s are handy to have but they're not essential. Your modules will deteriorate over time and it's likely you will warp into a not-nice location along the way. They don't reduce your jump range.
===Patience is Key===
Sagittarius A* isn't exactly a walk down the street - it's 25,900 light years away from sol. You read that right - Twenty-five thousand light years from [[Sol]]. You won't be able to plop yourself in the seat of an Asp Explorer, hop on over to the centre of the galaxy, and get back to Earth in time for tea at grandma's. It takes, at the absolute minimum, 8 hours to get there. That's not an awfully long time, but remember that the guy that got there in 8 hours did literally nothing else but get to his destination, and 8 hours is just the time it took to get there, and it's unknown how long he spent getting back to Sol.

If you want a profitable voyage, you'll need both time and patience and you must be able to handle being away from civilisation for a few weeks of playing until you get to the core where it's likely you'll meet up with other visiting explorers.
===Know What You Can Scoop===
Not every star is scoopable - only 7 star types are scoopable:
*Red Dwarf Stars (M)
*Orange Dwarf Stars (K)
*Yellow Dwarf Stars (G)
*Yellow-White Dwarf Stars (F)
*Blue Main Sequence Stars (A, B and O)
The sequence can be remembered with the phrase, "Oh Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me!" or simply "KGB Foam". Be aware that T-Tauri stars are often mistaken for normal stars, as they look exactly the same - but you can tell if it's a T-Tauri star if you get into fuel scooping range and nothing happens. It will also show that it's a T-Tauri star on the system map. Be aware that sometimes you will stumble into massive swathes of space that are full of T-Tauri stars and you might run low on [[Fuel]] while inside. If this happens, search for the nearest scoopable star or if there are none nearby and you're close enough to inhabited space (<1,000ly), you can get someone with [[Fuel Transfer Drone]] to help out.

Running out of fuel in the middle of a voyage is the worst thing that can happen to an explorer - without fuel, you can't make jumps, your modules will run out of power, and you'll be left to die. Unless the fuel rats manage to save you.

==System Layout==
* Sagittarius A*
** [[Sagittarius A*]]
** [[/Source 2/]]

==Notes==
* It's important to note the distinction between Sgr A and Sgr A*. The latter refers to the supermassive black hole itself, whereas Sgr A is a complex radio source that Sgr A* is a part of.
* Due to the popularity of the system, caution is advised in Open Play as gankers may be waiting to assault unarmed explorers going to the system.
* Many explorers have pleaded to have a special community goal to colonise the system and build [[Starport]]s there.
* On 18/02/16 Sagittarius A* became the first location where the theoretical instance cap was broken with over 50 player ships in the same visible space. Soon after this record was again broken with 101 players recorded.
* The maximum surface scan range for Sagittarius A* is 144,278 Ls.<ref>http://i.imgur.com/O1xSG6I.jpg</ref><ref>http://i.imgur.com/ndBXYV2.jpg</ref>

==Videos==
<gallery>
Elite_Dangerous_Arriving_at_Sagittarius_A*
From_Sol_to_Sagittarius_A_timelapse_-_Elite_Dangerous
Elite_Dangerous_-_Sagittarius_A*_Flyby_(No_UI)
File:Elite_dangerous_-_Sagittarius_A
File:Elite_Dangerous_Black_Holes_-_Sagittarius_A_%26_Great_Annihilator
File:Never_coming_home_part_3_(A_Journey_to_Sag_A)
File:Sagittarius_Eye_Bulletin_-_Sag*_Galactic_Record_has_been_broken
</gallery>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Sagittarius A 2015-09-23.jpg|Sagittarius A* info
Sagittarius A at 1AU 2015-09-23.jpg|Sagittarius A at 1 AU
Green boundy line at 40LS 0379.jpg|Green boundary line at 40LS
Source 2 Class B star 2015-09-23.jpg|Source 2 Class B star
Sagittarius A.png|Sagittarius A*
Elite Dangerous Screenshot 2017.09.15 - 01.19.56.16.png|At the edge of Sgr A's Schwarzschild radius
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Star systems with in-game descriptions]]

Planets

2019-01-09T15:35:42Z

86.3.190.19: Added more info.

There are three main categories of [[:Category:Planets|planets]]: [[Terrestrial Planet|Terrestrial planets]], [[Ocean Planet|Ocean Planets]] (water worlds) and [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== [[Terrestrial Planet|Terrestrial Planets]] ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy Planet
|Atmospheric: White.

Airless:

Blue, orange, green, yellow, pink (Rare).
|Very Common, especially when orbiting cooler M class stars and brown dwarf stars including classes L, T, and Y.
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky Planet
|Atmospheric:

Yellow, black, brown.

Airless:

Orange, grey, brown, red, green, black.
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky Ice Planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High-Metal Content Planet
|Atmospheric:
Yellow, black, brown.

Airless:

Orange, grey, brown, red, green, black.
|Common (Rare if orbiting M, L, T, S class stars)
|High metal content world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal-Rich Planet
|Atmospheric: Black, brown, visible lava.

Airless:

Typically deep red/orange due to proximity to star.
|Rare, can be found in close orbit around G, F and A class stars.
|Metal-rich worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.

This type of planetoid is always within close proximity of a star, often taking the form of a lava-covered planet or a potato planet.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-Like World
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely Rare (Mainly orbit K, G, F class stars)

Said to be less common in the galactic core.
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|[[Ammonia Planet]],
Ammonia World
|Atmospheric:
Light brown, brown, beige.

Airless:

Brown.
|Very Rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical Bodies
|Atmospheric:
N/A

Airless:

Grey.
|Rare (Commonly found orbiting M Class stars)
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape, with a radius of less than 1 000 KM. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.

Take caution when travelling near nonspherical bodies, as their small size can cause one to believe they are travelling further from the body's orbital cruise zone than they actually are and subsequently colliding at a significant velocity with the celestial body's glide engagement zone, triggering an emergency drop from supercruise and causing starship damage.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Emerald-Moon-in-Cemiess.png
</gallery>
|Terraformed World
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Accounts for most Earth-Like Worlds in inhabited areas of space. Cannot be found in deep space
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|}

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== [[Ocean Planet|Ocean Planets]] ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col" |Image
! scope="col" |Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col" |Rarity
! scope="col" |In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|Water World
|Atmospheric
Blue, often with white (ice).

Airless:

Blue.
|Rare (More common if orbiting K, G, F and A class stars)
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.

Water Worlds may occasionally possess a small cluster of islands. This does not alter its classification, however.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Uncommon
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Uncommon
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Very Uncommon
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Water Giant
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
File:Elite_Dangerous_-_Timelapse_-_Planet_Rising_3
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-03-09T17:42:38Z

86.3.190.19: Replaced 'Solid' with 'Terrestrial' in introductory line.

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Terrestrial planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy Planet
|Atmospheric: White.

Airless:

Blue, orange, green, yellow, pink (Rare).
|Very Common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky Planet
|Atmospheric:

Yellow, black, brown.

Airless:

Orange, grey, brown, red, green, black.
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky Ice Planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High-Metal Content Planet
|Atmospheric:
Yellow, black, brown.

Airless:

Orange, grey, brown, red, green, black.
|Common (Rare if orbiting M, L, T, S class stars)
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal-Rich Planet
|Atmospheric: Black, brown, visible lava.

Airless:

Typically deep red/orange due to proximity to star.
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|Water World
|Atmospheric
Blue, often with white (ice).

Airless:

Blue.
|Rare (Uncommon if orbiting K, G, F class stars)
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.

Water Worlds may occasionally possess a small cluster of islands. This does not alter its classification, however.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like World
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely Rare (Mainly orbit K, G, F class stars)
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|Ammonia World
|Atmospheric:
Light brown, brown, beige.

Airless:

Brown.
|Very Rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical Bodies
|Atmospheric:
N/A

Airless:

Grey.
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape, with a radius of less than 1 000 KM. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Uncommon
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Uncommon
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Very Uncommon
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-03-04T19:16:19Z

86.3.190.19: Updated Nonspherical bodies.

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Solid planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy Planet
|Atmospheric: White.

Airless:

Blue, orange, green, yellow, pink (Rare).
|Very Common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky Planet
|Atmospheric:

Yellow, black, brown.

Airless:

Orange, grey, brown, red, green, black.
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky Ice Planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High-Metal Content Planet
|Atmospheric:
Yellow, black, brown.

Airless:

Orange, grey, brown, red, green, black.
|Common (Rare if orbiting M, L, T, S class stars)
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal-Rich Planet
|Atmospheric: Black, brown, visible lava.

Airless:

Typically deep red/orange due to proximity to star.
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|Water World
|Atmospheric
Blue, often with white (ice).

Airless:

Blue.
|Rare (Uncommon if orbiting K, G, F class stars)
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.

Water Worlds may occasionally possess a small cluster of islands. This does not alter its classification, however.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like World
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely Rare (Mainly orbit K, G, F class stars)
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|Ammonia World
|Atmospheric:
Light brown, brown, beige.

Airless:

Brown.
|Very Rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical Bodies
|Atmospheric:
N/A

Airless:

Grey.
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape, with a radius of less than 1 000 KM. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Uncommon
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Uncommon
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Very Uncommon
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-03-03T18:07:35Z

86.3.190.19: Various updates, mainly celestial body colours.

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Solid planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy Planet
|Atmospheric: White.

Airless:

Blue, orange, green, yellow, pink (Rare).
|Very Common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky Planet
|Atmospheric:

Yellow, black, brown.

Airless:

Orange, grey, brown, red, green, black.
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky Ice Planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High-Metal Content Planet
|Atmospheric:
Yellow, black, brown.

Airless:

Orange, grey, brown, red, green, black.
|Common (Rare if orbiting M, L, T, S class stars)
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal-Rich Planet
|Atmospheric: Black, brown, visible lava.

Airless:

Typically deep red/orange due to proximity to star.
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|Water World
|Atmospheric
Blue, often with white (ice).

Airless:

Blue.
|Rare (Uncommon if orbiting K, G, F class stars)
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.

Water Worlds may occasionally possess a small cluster of islands. This does not alter its classification, however.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like World
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely Rare (Mainly orbit K, G, F class stars)
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|Ammonia World
|Atmospheric:
Light brown, brown, beige.

Airless:

Brown.
|Very Rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical Bodies
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Uncommon
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Uncommon
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Very Uncommon
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-02-15T09:49:06Z

86.3.190.19: Altered Water World contents.

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Solid planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy planet
|White - Grey - Bluish
|Very common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky ice planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High metal content planet
|Brown - Dark brown - Black - Beige
|Common (Rare if orbiting M, L, T, S class stars)
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal rich planet
|Brown - Black (sometime with visible lava)
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|[[Ocean Planet]], Water world
|Blue, often with white
|Rare (Uncommon if orbiting K, G, F class stars)
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.

Water Worlds may occasionally possess a small cluster of islands. This does not alter its classification, however.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely Rare (Mainly orbit K, G, F class stars)
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|[[Ammonia Planet]], Ammonia world
|Light brown. Uncommon colours are dark brown or beige
|Very Rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical bodies
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Uncommon
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Uncommon
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Very Uncommon
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-02-14T21:51:34Z

86.3.190.19: Ammonia Rarity caps check, Earth-Like Rarity update

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Solid planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy planet
|White - Grey - Bluish
|Very common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky ice planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High metal content planet
|Brown - Dark brown - Black - Beige
|Common (Rare if orbiting M, L, T, S class stars)
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal rich planet
|Brown - Black (sometime with visible lava)
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|[[Ocean Planet]], Water world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|Rare (Uncommon if orbiting K, G, F class stars)
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely Rare (Mainly orbit K, G, F class stars)
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|[[Ammonia Planet]], Ammonia world
|Light brown. Uncommon colours are dark brown or beige
|Very Rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical bodies
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Uncommon
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Uncommon
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Very Uncommon
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-02-14T11:10:21Z

86.3.190.19: Updated various Gas Giant Rarity.

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Solid planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy planet
|White - Grey - Bluish
|Very common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky ice planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High metal content planet
|Brown - Dark brown - Black - Beige
|Common (Rare if orbiting M, L, T, S class stars)
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal rich planet
|Brown - Black (sometime with visible lava)
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|[[Ocean Planet]], Water world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|Rare (Uncommon if orbiting K, G, F class stars)
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely Rare
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|[[Ammonia Planet]], Ammonia world
|Light brown. Uncommon colours are dark brown or beige
|Very rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical bodies
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Uncommon
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Uncommon
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Very Uncommon
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-02-14T11:07:20Z

86.3.190.19: Capital Consistency.

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Solid planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy planet
|White - Grey - Bluish
|Very common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky ice planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High metal content planet
|Brown - Dark brown - Black - Beige
|Common (Rare if orbiting M, L, T, S class stars)
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal rich planet
|Brown - Black (sometime with visible lava)
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|[[Ocean Planet]], Water world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|Rare (Uncommon if orbiting K, G, F class stars)
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely Rare
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|[[Ammonia Planet]], Ammonia world
|Light brown. Uncommon colours are dark brown or beige
|Very rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical bodies
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Rare
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Very Rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Rare
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Rare
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very Rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-02-14T11:05:52Z

86.3.190.19: Updated Water World Rarity.

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Solid planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy planet
|White - Grey - Bluish
|Very common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky ice planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High metal content planet
|Brown - Dark brown - Black - Beige
|Common (Rare if orbiting M, L, T, S class stars)
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal rich planet
|Brown - Black (sometime with visible lava)
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|[[Ocean Planet]], Water world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|Rare (Uncommon if orbiting K, G, F class stars)
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely rare
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|[[Ammonia Planet]], Ammonia world
|Light brown. Uncommon colours are dark brown or beige
|Very rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical bodies
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Rare
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Very rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Rare
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Rare
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-02-14T11:03:03Z

86.3.190.19: Updated High Metal Content Rarity.

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Solid planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy planet
|White - Grey - Bluish
|Very common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky ice planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High metal content planet
|Brown - Dark brown - Black - Beige
|Common (Rare if orbiting M, L, T, S class stars)
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal rich planet
|Brown - Black (sometime with visible lava)
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|[[Ocean Planet]], Water world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|very rare
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely rare
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|[[Ammonia Planet]], Ammonia world
|Light brown. Uncommon colours are dark brown or beige
|Very rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical bodies
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Rare
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Very rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Rare
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Rare
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-02-13T16:50:26Z

86.3.190.19: Extended 'Nonspherical Bodies' description.

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Solid planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy planet
|White - Grey - Bluish
|Very common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky ice planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High metal content planet
|Brown - Dark brown - Black - Beige
|Uncommon
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal rich planet
|Brown - Black (sometime with visible lava)
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|[[Ocean Planet]], Water world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|very rare
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely rare
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|[[Ammonia Planet]], Ammonia world
|Light brown. Uncommon colours are dark brown or beige
|Very rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical bodies
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape. It's elongated and can resemble a potato. Typically do not retain any atmosphere.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Rare
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Very rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Rare
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Rare
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]

Planets

2018-02-13T16:44:31Z

86.3.190.19: Swapped high-metal content and metal-rich body descriptions back to correct titles.

There are three main categories of '''[[:Category:Planets|planets]]''': Solid planets, water giants and [[Gas Giant|gas giants]].

The term planet refers to celestial bodies orbiting a [[star]] with a [[gravity]] in a specific range. The gravity of a planet has to be strong enough to hold fluids in a stable state (hydrostatic equilibrium) which prevents them from escaping the planet and low enough to prevent nuclear processes to start as in stars.

Some astronomical bodies, we call planets, are not considered as planets by this definition. [[Moons]] are natural satellites orbiting a planet and do not fall into the category of planets. However, some natural satellites are considered as planets because they fit their definition.<ref>https://www.universetoday.com/85749/is-the-moon-a-planet/</ref>

== Terrestrial planet ==
{| class="article-table article-table-selected" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
|-
! scope="col"|Image
! scope="col"|Class
! scope="col" |Colour
! scope="col"|Rarity
! scope="col"|In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Icy-180px.png
</gallery>
|Icy planet
|White - Grey - Bluish
|Very common
|Ice world composed mainly of water ice. Worlds like this will not have much heating in the past, forming in the cooler regions of a star system and have retained many volatiles as solids within their crust.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|
Rocky planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Common
|Rocky world with little or no surface metal content. Worlds like this have lost most of their volatiles due to past heating, and any metallic content will form a small central core.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Rocky_ice.png
</gallery>
|Rocky ice planet
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown
|Uncommon
|Rocky ice world. Typically formed in the cooler regions of star system these worlds have a small metal core and thick rocky mantle with a crust of very deep ice. Geological activity is common in these worlds because of the large quantities of volatiles in the crust, often creating a thin, sometimes seasonal atmosphere.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
High-Metal-Content-Planets-180px.png
</gallery>
|High metal content planet
|Brown - Dark brown - Black - Beige
|Uncommon
|High metal content worlds like this have a large metallic core, with plentiful metallic ores even at the surface. In places, especially around areas of past or current volcanism or liquid erosion, some higher metals can be found in their elemental form too. Mining is therefore very efficient, so these worlds are highly valued.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Metal_rich.png
</gallery>
|[[Lava Planet]], Metal rich planet
|Brown - Black (sometime with visible lava)
|Rare
|Metal-rich world with a metallic core. Worlds like this can have metallic ores near the surface in places, especially around areas of past volcanism.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Water-World-180px.png
water.jpg|Water world
THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6.png|THAILOAE EM-M D7-2 A 6
</gallery>
|[[Ocean Planet]], Water world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|very rare
|Terrestrial water world with an active water-based chemistry and carbon-water-based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Earthlike.png
</gallery>
|Earth-like world
|Blue with green, brown and white
|
Extremely rare
|Outdoor world with a human-breathable atmosphere and indigenous life. The atmosphere is far from chemical equilibrium as a result.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Ammonia-World-180px.png
</gallery>
|[[Ammonia Planet]], Ammonia world
|Light brown. Uncommon colours are dark brown or beige
|Very rare
|Terrestrial ammonia world with an active ammonia-based chemistry and carbon-ammonia based life.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Nonspherical-Planet.png
Non-Spherical-Planet-2.png
Nonspherical-Moon.png
</gallery>
|Nonspherical bodies
|White - Grey - Light blue - Light brown - Yellow
|Rare
|These are planets or moons with a nonspherical shape. It's elongated and can resemble a potato.
|}
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]

== Water Giants ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="277">
Water_Giant.png
Water Giant 2.png|Water Giant
</gallery>
|Very Rare
|Water giant. Worlds like this have a large atmosphere made mainly of water vapour. It most likely formed when a large icy body warmed up enough to evaporate a large amount of its surface ice, this would in turn trigger a runaway greenhouse effect leading to a very thick atmosphere made of the evaporated ices.
|}

== [[Gas Giant|Gas Giants]] ==
{| class="article-table" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
!Image
!Class
!Rarity
!In game description
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-I.png
</gallery>
|I
|Rare
|Class I or Jovian gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Colouration comes from clouds in the upper atmosphere of ammonia, water vapour, hydrogen sulphide, phosphine and sulphur. The temperature at the top of their upper cloud layers is typically less than 150 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Class_II.png
</gallery>
|II
|Very rare
|Class II gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres. Water vapour in the upper cloud layers gives them a much higher albedo. Their surface temperature is typically up to or around 250 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-III-180px.png
20170221073152_1.jpg
</gallery>
|III
|Rare
|Class III gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres without distinctive cloud layers. Their surface temperature typically ranges between 350 K and 800 K. They are primarily blue in colour because of optical scattering in the atmosphere - with the chance of wispy cloud layers from sulphides and chlorides.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas-Giant-Class-IV-180px.png
</gallery>
|IV
|Rare
|Class IV gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres with carbon monoxide and upper clouds of alkali metals above lower cloud layers of silicates and iron compounds, hence he brighter colours. The temperature of their upper cloud layers is typically above 900 K.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas Giant Class V.png
</gallery>
|V
|Very Rare
|Class V gas giants have primarily hydrogen and helium atmospheres, with thick clouds of silicates and iron compounds, even metallic iron.They are the hottest type of gas giants with temperatures at their upper cloud decks above 1400 K, and much hotter in the lower layers, often emitting a dull glow from the internal heat within.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant_2.jpg
Helium-rich_Gas_Giant.png
</gallery>
|Helium-rich
|Very Rare
|Helium-rich gas giants have a greatly inflated percentage of helium compared to the hydrogen in their atmosphere. Much of their hydrogen has been lost over time because they have insufficient mass to hold on to it. It may also be because temperatures in their past were much higher, driving off the hydrogen at a greater rate.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_giant_with_ammonia_based_life.png
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with ammonia-based life
|Very rare
|Gas giant with ammonia-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium-based atmospheric gas giant, but a little below the surface cloud layers,life exists based in the ammonia-cloud layer. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid ammonia, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|-
|<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="250">
Gas_Giant_Water_Based_Life.png
Water_based_life_gas_giant.png
gas_giant_water_based.jpg|Gas giant, water based
</gallery>
|[[Gas Giant]] with water-based life
|Very rare
|Gas giant with water-based life. This is primarily a hydrogen and helium based atmospheric gas giant, but not far below the surface exists life based in the water-cloud layer just below the atmospheric surface. The chemistry of this gaseous region is far from equilibrium, with a surprising excess of oxygen and many carbon-based compounds giving it some vivid colours. As with many such gaseous living systems, it is underpinned by vast quantities of free-floating radioplankton - tiny carbon-based algae, each retaining small quantity of liquid water, extracting their energy from the intense radiation flux.
|}

== Videos ==
<gallery>
File:Elite_dangerous_1._Planets_a._Gas_giants
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_b._Volcanic
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_c._Class_M
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_d._Rings
File:Elite_Dangerous_1._Planets_e._Others
</gallery>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Celestials]]
{{Stub}}
[[Category:Guides]]