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This article has been verified for the current PC version (3.10) of the game.

Celestial body

A celestial body is a star, planet, moon or asteroid present in a star system. Celestial bodies may have resources which can be harvested by orbital stations. Each start system can have between 2 and 15 celestial bodies.

When any owned ship enters a system or passes within its sensor range, any habitable planets in the system will be revealed along with their world type. To see further details about the celestial bodies in a system, it is necessary to survey them with a science ship. This will reveal all of the orbital resources associated with each planet or asteroid. For habitable worlds, this will also reveal more detailed world information including: size, available districts, planetary features and blockers (if any), and the habitability for each species in the player's empire. Additionally, surveying worlds has a chance to reveal anomalies.

Planet size[]

The planet size determines the visual size of a planet and the maximum number of districts the planet can support if it's habitable. Planets can have various sizes, but habitable ones will always be within the following margins:

  • Planets have a size between 12 and 25
  • Moons have a size between 10 and 15
  • Homeworlds have a size between 18 and 21, unless otherwise determined by the empire's origin.

Planet capacity[]

World Type Planet capacity
  • Tomb World
  • Machine World
  • Habitat
+3
  • Relic World
  • All regular habitable planets
+4
  • Gaia World
  • Ecumenopolis
  • Hive World
  • Ringworld
+6

Each colony has a Planet capacity, which determines the logistic pop growth bonus or malus from pops. There are three sources of planet capacity:

  1. Housing: Each unit of unused housing provides +1 planet capacity.
  2. Districts: Free district slots will grant planet capacity depending on the world type (see table). Clearing tile blockers increases planet capacity. Building districts can alter planet capacity, depending on whether the housing bonus is higher or lower than the capacity bonus of the undeveloped district.
  3. Pops: Every pop provides +1 planet capacity, but also uses housing. Therfore, only pops with Pop housing usage pop housing usage modifiers affect planet capacity, e.g. every pop with the communal trait (and no other modifiers) provides +0.1 planet capacity in total.

A more static perspective would be from the point of view of total housing:

Planet capacity is capped at 500.

Habitable planets[]

Habitable planets are the only natural celestial bodies that can be colonized and terraformed, without the Terraforming Candidate planet modifier. There are nine types of regular habitable planets, divided equally into three climate categories: Dry, Frozen and Wet. Each type's base habitability for a given species depends on how closely it matches a species' homeworld: in general, a species will have 100% habitability for its homeworld, 80% habitability for planets of the same type, 60% habitability for planets of the same climate category, and 20% habitability for every other climate category and type. Finally, these habitability values can be both increased and decreased species-wide by certain traits and for a given planet by certain planetary features and planetary modifiers.

A planet's type also affects the set of possible planetary features and blockers it may have. Each of the three climate categories has a slight bias towards different resources when it comes to planetary features; Dry worlds (Desert, Arid and Savanna) are somewhat more weighted towards Energy deposits, Frozen worlds (Arctic, Tundra and Alpine) are somewhat more weighted towards Minerals deposits and Wet worlds (Tropical, Ocean and Continental) are somewhat more weighted towards Food deposits. Continental worlds in particular stand out, as they have a much stronger bias in favour of their preferred resource than the other types.

Type Climate Description
Arid Dry Dry, rocky world with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. The dust-covered terrain consists largely of mesas and canyons. Forests can be found in the more temperate polar regions, but vegetation is otherwise scarce.
Desert Dry Dry, rocky world with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. Precipitation and major bodies of surface water are relatively rare. Significant temperature variations between day and night cycles. Vegetation is scarce, but even moderate precipitation can make the desert bloom.
Savanna Dry Rocky world dominated by dry, arid plains covered by a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. The small hydrosphere allows for brief wet seasons, but aside from a few ubiquitous grasses vegetation is largely concentrated around shallow oases.
Alpine Frozen Mountainous world with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. Snow covers the mountaintops and frozen-over lakes dot the valleys. While the planet experiences the minimal seasonal variations, the still-liquid water beneath the frozen surface of the lakes is enough to sustain some hardy vegetation.
Arctic Frozen Frigid, rocky world with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. The poles are big, and significant water deposits can be found permanently frozen as glacial ice. However, the planet experiences seasonal variations and the equatorial band is covered by vegetation.
Tundra Frozen Cold and rocky world with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. Permafrost covers most of the surface except for the more temperate equatorial regions. A stable biosphere exists but vegetation is mostly limited to mosses and lichens.
Continental Wet Rocky world with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. Active and stable hydrosphere. Great landmasses are separated by oceans, with large climate variations depending on latitude and precipitation.
Ocean Wet Rocky world with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere and a significant hydrosphere. Oceans cover more than 90% of the surface, with scattered islands making up the remaining percentage.
Tropical Wet Humid, rocky world with a thick nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. Seasons with significant precipitation are interchanged with drier periods. Most landmasses are covered in dense vegetation.

Special habitable planets[]

Special habitable planets are only spawned in certain systems, but any empire that meets the requirements can terraform a regular habitable world into a special one. Certain origins use one of these as the empire's homeworld. All of them have either very high or zero habitability, and most of them feature fixed habitability, meaning that habitability cannot be increased or decreased by effects such as traits. These planets feature their own set of rules regarding planetary features which are distinct from the regular habitable planets; Gaia worlds are biased towards spawning the highest-tier resource deposits, Relic worlds have their own set of unique planetary features and the other three (Ecumenopolis worlds, Hive worlds and Machine worlds) will remove all planetary features upon creation.

In addition to regular terraforming, some worlds can be terraformed by decisions such as Restore Ecumenopolis or Repair the Shattered Ring.

Type Origin Homeworld Terraforming methods Effects Notes
Gaia Life-Seeded
  • Gaia Worlds tend to have positive modifiers and no negative ones.
  • Most Gaia Worlds are found in unique systems.
  • Four Gaia worlds with special names - Prophets Retreat, Walled Garden, Emerald Mausoleum, Pristine Jewel - border the systems of the Holy Guardians. They have the File:Consecrated worlds.png Holy World modifier and colonizing them will incur their ire. Destroying them or terraforming them will even awaken the Fallen Empire.
Tomb Post-Apocalyptic 0% Base habitability
  • Pre-FTL civilizations in the Atomic or Early Space Age have a small chance of starting a nuclear war and turning the planet into a Tomb World.
  • Empires with the Determined Exterminator civic start on a Tomb World if they don't have the Resource Consolidation origin.
  • Colonizing a Tomb World will displease the Traditionalist faction unless the empire has the Post-Apocalyptic origin.
  • Each Tomb World has a high chance of triggering one of 8 unique events 2 or 3 years after the planet is colonized.
Ecumenopolis
  • Ecumenopolises have special districts. All normal planetary features are removed.
  • Planetary Prospecting decision disabled.
  • The only pre-existing Ecumenopolis is the homeworld of the Keepers of Knowledge Fallen Empire.
  • The city lights of an Ecumenopolis are determined by the ship appearance of the terraforming empire.
  • Empires that are Gestalt Consciousness (except Rogue Servitor) or have the Agrarian Idyll civic cannot take the ascension perk, but can still use conquered Ecumenopolises.
Relic Remnants
  • Relic Worlds can be found in the First League Precursors' home system or in various systems added in the Ancient Relics DLC.
  • Relic Worlds contain unique planetary features that grant bonuses to research output. However, most of the surface is covered by blockers that are expensive to remove.
Hive Hive Worlds Hive Worlds ascension perk
  • All normal planetary features are removed.
  • Resource districts are not limited by features.
  • Planetary Prospecting decision disabled.
  • The following planetary modifiers will also be removed: Atmospheric Aphrodisiac, Atmospheric Hallucinogen, Bleak, Hazardous Weather, Hostile Fauna, Irradiated, Lush, Natural Beauty, and Wild Storms.
Machine Resource Consolidation Machine Worlds Machine Worlds ascension perk
  • All normal planetary features are removed.
  • Resource districts are not limited by features.
  • Planetary Prospecting decision disabled.
  • The following planetary modifiers will also be removed: Atmospheric Aphrodisiac, Atmospheric Hallucinogen, Bleak, Hazardous Weather, Hostile Fauna, Irradiated, Lush, Natural Beauty, and Wild Storms.
  • If the planet contains organic pops that don't have the Cybernetic trait when terraformed, they are killed and the Machine World gains an Organic Slurry planetary feature ( +15 Food).

Habitable megastructures[]

Habitable megastructures are artificial celestial bodies and can be constructed using resources after researching the required technology. They feature a fixed Habitability value that is the same for every species and have different districts and designations. They do not normally have any planetary features on them but may contain blockers.

Type Source Habitability Size Notes Description
Habitat
  • 40% at tier I
  • 50% at tier II
  • 60% at tier III
6
  • Comes in three tiers shown in the outliner
  • Can be upgraded by decision if the required technology is researched
  • +200% Colony development speed
An artificial deep-space arcology offering planet-like, if decidedly urban, living conditions. Hydroponics and advanced filtering technologies make it near-self-sustaining, and station-borne facilities can mine the station's host planet for raw materials.
Ring World
  • Repaired from broken segments
  • Sanctuary system
  • Repair the Shattered Ring decision
  • Ancient Caretakers home system
  • Megastructure construction
100% 10
  • All building slots are unlocked
  • +50% Automatic resettlement destination chance
An immense band encircling the system's sun. Built to allow for numerous artificial habitation zones along its inner span, freed from the restrictions and mundanity of planet-bound, spherical existence.
Shattered Ring World Shattered Ring origin 100% 25
  • Enables the Repair the Shattered Ring decision
An immense band encircling the system's sun. This section of the megastructure has sustained damage - especially to some of its more advanced districts - but it does not appear irreparable.

Uninhabitable celestial bodies[]

All non-star celestial bodies that cannot harbor advanced life are classified as uninhabitable. These worlds cannot be colonized or terraformed unless they have the Terraforming Candidate modifier, but they can have various resource deposits. Astral Scars can only appear if the Astral Planes DLC is installed.

Type Deposits
Minerals Energy Alloys Trade Value Engineering research Engineering Research Society research Society Research Exotic Gases Rare Crystals Volatile Motes Zro Astral Threads
Asteroid
Ice Asteroid
Crystalline Asteroid
Barren World
Barren World
(Cold)
Broken
Frozen World
Gas Giant
Molten World
Toxic World
Astral Scar

Special uninhabitable planets[]

Special uninhabitable planets can only be created in unique systems or as a result of events. Once again, planetary features do not spawn on these worlds.

Type Notes Description
AI These planets are created by the Contingency. They are similar in appearance to Machine Worlds, but are not habitable at all. Successful bombardment turns the planet into a broken world. Rocky world covered with artificial structures. The thin atmosphere consists mostly of industrial pollutants. There are strong energy emissions coming from across the entire surface, but no organic life signs.
Broken AI World Similar to AI worlds but not created by the Contingency. Found only in the Ultima Vigilis system. Rocky world covered with artificial structures. The thin atmosphere consists mostly of industrial pollutants. There are strong energy emissions coming from across the entire surface, but no organic life signs.
Cracked Created by the hatching of the Voidspawn, destroying the existing colony. Has a deposit of Society research 20 Society. The cracked shards of an enormous planet-sized egg.
Infested Created when habitable worlds are infested by the Prethoryn Swarm. Successful bombardment turns the planet into a barren world that can be terraformed. The surface of this world is covered by some kind of biological contaminant.
Nanite Found in the L-Cluster, with half of the outcomes giving them the Terraforming Candidate modifier once the nanite factory is destroyed. A chaotic and inhospitable world, disfigured according to some mad design.
Shattered Can be created by using a World Cracker Colossus weapon on a planet.
All worlds will have a deposit of 4–16 Minerals.
Enables the system's starbase to construct the Mining Bay building.
The charred, broken remnants of what was once a planet. A massive energy surge has detonated this world's core, leaving only slabs of rock.
Shielded Found through exploration, where the shield can be brought down through a special project with different possible outcomes. They can also be created using the Global Pacifier Colossus weapon but these worlds cannot then be un-shielded. This entire world is encased in some kind of impenetrable energy barrier. It blocks all scans of the surface.
Shrouded Created by the Teachers of the Shroud origin as well as the End of the Cycle and Eater of Worlds. Cannot be recovered. A few Shrouded Worlds can be found in some special systems. Our sensors are unable to penetrate the thick fog surrounding the planet. Ships that enter it do not return.

Stars[]

A star is a celestial body that composes the center of a star system and influences the generation of the solar system. They are classified based on their spectral characteristics. Less common stars also have a negative effect on all ships in the system, making certain tactics less effective in battle. Different stars have different likelihoods for habitable planets to appear in the system, with F-type, G-type and K-type stars having the highest likelihood for habitable planets to appear around them and every other type having a lower likelihood of having habitable planets in orbit around them.

Most solar systems are unary systems with only one star, but they can also exist as binary systems with two stars or trinary systems with three stars, either orbiting each other in the center with all planets around them or spread out further apart from each with a few planets orbiting each star. The effects and chances for habitable planets stack in binary and trinary systems.

Type Potential resources Habitable planets chance Description
Class B 60% The large class B main-sequence stars are very bright and blue. Although somewhat rare, the luminosity of these stars make them among the most visible to the naked eye.
Class A 60% These relatively young white or bluish-white main-sequence stars are typically among the most visible to the naked eye. They are large and rotate very quickly, but will eventually evolve into slower and cooler red giants.
Class F 100% F-type stars are fairly large and often referred to as yellow-white dwarves. Although they often emit significant amounts of UV radiation, their wide habitable zones have a good chance of supporting life-bearing worlds.
Class G 100% Often referred to as yellow dwarves, G-type stars actually range in color from white to slightly yellow. Main-sequence stars fuse hydrogen for roughly 10 billion years before they expand and become red giants. Although their lifespans are shorter than K-type stars, worlds inside the habitable zone of a G star often enjoy optimal conditions for the development of life.
Class K 100% These main-sequence stars, sometimes referred to as orange dwarves, are a fairly common sight. They are stable on the main-sequence for up to 30 billion years, meaning that worlds orbiting a K-type star have a longer than average window to evolve life.
Class M 40% The most common stars in the universe, often referred to as red dwarves. Their low luminosity means they are difficult to observe with the naked eye from afar. Although they typically have an extremely long lifespan, red dwarves emit almost no UV light resulting in unfavorable conditions for most forms of life.
Class M Red Giant 10% With a large radius and comparatively low surface temperature, red giants are stars of moderate mass in a late stage of stellar evolution. Their expanded stellar atmosphere and high luminosity make for distant habitable zone orbits.
Class T Brown Dwarf 40% Brown dwarfs are substellar objects that lack the mass to sustain hydrogen fusion. Roughly the size of large gas giants, they have a much greater density. Their low luminosity and comparatively small heat generation means that planets orbiting them are unlikely to support life.
Pulsar 0% Pulsars are highly magnetized neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation. As the star rotates, the radiation beam is only visible when it is pointing directly at the observer. This results in a very precise interval of pulses, which sometimes is so exact that it can be used to measure the passage of time with extreme accuracy. The radiation emitted by pulsars interferes with deflector technology, rendering ship and station shields inoperable.
Black Hole 0% Typically formed as a result of the collapse of a very massive star at the end of its life cycle, black holes have extremely strong gravity fields that prevent anything - including light - from escaping once the event horizon has been crossed. The gravitational waves emitted by black holes interfere with FTL drives, making it harder for ships to escape from combat.
  • 50% Disengagement Chance Reduction
  • +50% Emergency FTL Jump Cooldown
  • Allows starbases to construct the Black Hole Observatory building.
  • Allows construction of a Matter Decompressor
Neutron Star 0% These incredibly dense stellar remnants are sometimes created when a massive star suffers a rapid collapse and explodes in a supernova. Although their diameter is typically as little as ten kilometers, their mass is many times greater than an average G-type star. The gravitational waves and radiation emitted by Neutron Stars must be carefully navigated around, slowing the sublight speed of ships.
Viridescent Lightbringer 0% Millennia of exposure to the Toxic Entity have caused alterations in the makeup of this star. Though once it was a fairly standard G-type star, now it emits an eerie green haze unlike anything seen elsewhere in the galaxy.
  • 100% Armor Nullification
  • This star type only appears in the system created at the completion of the Quest for the Toxic God situation.
  • This system has two Toxic Worlds (size 30 and 20) with the Toxic Terraforming Candidate planet modifiers.
Astral Scar Astral Threads 0% In place of a star, the celestial bodies in this system orbit an ancient Astral Rift.
  • This star type only appears in the azilash system, created by one of the outcomes of the The Crystal Rift astral rift.

References[]


Game concepts
Exploration ExplorationFTLAnomalyArchaeological siteRelicsPre-FTL speciesFallen empireEventsSpaceborne aliensEnclavesGuardiansMaraudersCaravaneers
Celestial bodies Celestial bodyColonizationTerraformingPlanetary featuresPlanet modifiers
Species SpeciesTraitsPopulationPop modificationSpecies rightsEthicsLeader
Governance EmpireOriginGovernmentCivicsPoliciesEdictsFactionsTechnologyTraditionsSituations
Economy ResourcesPlanetary managementDistrictsBuildingsHoldingsJobsDesignationTradeMegastructures
Diplomacy DiplomacyRelationsGalactic communityFederationsSubject empiresIntelligenceAI personalities
Warfare WarfareSpace warfareLand warfareStarbaseShipShip designerCrisis
Others The ShroudL-ClusterUnique systemsPreset empiresAI playersEaster eggs
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