How many hours would it take to visit every planet in no man‘s sky?
As a veteran player with over 200 hours under my belt, I‘m often asked – is it really possible to see everything in No Man‘s Sky? With over 18 quintillion planets spanning 255 galaxies, it would take 585 billion years to visit each one. So exploring every inch of this masterfully-crafted infinite universe is virtually impossible.
But that incomprehensible scale is precisely what makes this game so wondrous. Let‘s break down the ever-expanding cosmos that awaits all star explorers…
Travel Times: Journeying to the Great Unknown
When first emerging from the pristine white glow after choosing your explorer, that very first planet can feel startlingly immense. Now multiply that by 18 quintillion. Even piloting your ship at a pulse-pounding 6,000 u/s in hyperspace, it takes around:
- 5 minutes to travel between planets within a solar system
- 15 minutes+ jumping between neighboring systems
- Hours venturing between regions towards the galactic core
So one single non-stop journey to visit every planet is estimated to take the mind-bending span of 585 billion years – longer than our universe‘s current age!
While even the most diligent completionists may feel daunted, this developers Hello Games wanted to evoke never-ending frontiers to pioneer. Let‘s compare No Man‘s Sky‘s impressive scale…
No Man‘s Sky Universe vs. Real-Life Size Comparisons
To conceptualize just how gargantuan No Man‘s Sky‘s universe is:
- Over 20 times more planets than possible Minecraft‘s block configurations
- Makes our known universe fit inside just 4 of its galaxies
- It would take 81,000 years to cross the largest NMS galaxy at lightspeed
- There are 2,000 times more regions than stars in our night sky
As an avid space admirer, I find it incredible that this fathomless cosmos exists inside a video game. While reaching that distant cosmic horizon may be theoretically possible, let‘s examine what players have charted so far…
Player Discoveries: 10 Million Species and Counting
Due to its procedural generation, all players share the same persistent online universe. As explorers survey planets across galaxies, discoveries contribute to a growing public database:
- Over 10 million creatures catalogued so far
- Players naming hundreds of thousands of star systems and planets
- Massive player bases and farms with traversable teleporter networks
- Custom races created from cross-bred pets for recruiting frigate crew members
This ever-increasing interconnectedness makes the universe feel more alive and shows what‘s possible. But with less than 0.000000001% revealed so far, there‘s still so much left out there in the great unknown!
My Personal Journey: Wonders Discovered
In my own travels spanning 30+ star systems, I‘ve encountered:
- Mega-fauna like rhino-sized hopping crab creatures
- Anomalous glitch planets with rainbow grass and giant flowers
- Abandoned alien temples, crashed freighters, and labor colonies
- Systems still undiscovered after hundreds of hours played
That‘s what I love about this game – no matter how long you play, the surprises never end. There‘s always one more strange horizon calling your name. Now let‘s examine some player theories on crossing boundaries…
Edge of the Universe? Limits to Explore
Surely there must be an edge somewhere in this ever-regenerating cosmos? Hello Games founder Sean Murray has been coy, neither confirming nor denying. But theories abound on what happens when you reach the threshold.
My favorite is you would loop back around to your starting point, making the universe a topological sphere. Others include:
- An invisible barrier blocks further travel
- You‘re transported instantly across to the other side
- A cascading system collapse leading to a reset
While many debate whether an edge exists, no player has provided definitive proof so far. Ultimately the boundaries lie not in the endless star systems you can leap between, but rather time and technology.
Let‘s examine what would be involved fully exploring just one planet…
Completely Mapping a Planet: Dudenbeaumodeme Case Study
The well-known legend of explorer Steam-bot reveals the dedication required to fully survey a single celestial body. In 2018, he committed to walking around planet Dudenbeaumodeme‘s entire 12,500 km circumference, estimating it would take:
- 50 straight hours walking to traverse
- 833 hours total including recharging equipment overnight
- 5-6 months real-world human time
Visiting every inch on foot allows for scanning all flora and fauna plus geological analysis. Even with advanced mapping drones, thoroughly documenting a whole planet represents a massive undertaking.
Now imagine that x 18 quintillion…daunting yes, but not impossible for future AI explorers! The sheer magnitude inspires a wonderful vertigo when gazing into space.
Final Thoughts: Endless Adventure Awaits!
While reaching every last elusive planet remains firmly in the realm of fantasy, new frontiers beckon within easy grasp. This infinitely expanding sandbox offers endless vistas to uncover at your own pace.
The magic lies not the destination, but rather the feeling of awe and insignificance when floating through the cosmic dark between stars. No Man‘s Sky‘s meditative thrill stays with you long after powering down your ship.
So strap yourself in and get ready to lose yourself across the great unknown dear explorer. Destiny awaits amongst uncharted alien constellations! Just be sure your hyperdrive and suit oxygen has enough charge…once you start, the siren call of adventure makes it hard to stop. Especially with over 18 quintillion worlds out there…happy trails my friends!
