What are rare asteroids in No Man’s Sky and what are they for?

The Waypoint 4.0 update to No Man’s Sky expands upon the already vast universe for us to explore, but an important change that may not be immediately noticed is a new source of materials. Rare level asteroids now have the ability to spawn in certain areas and contain special materials that can be difficult to find on a planet’s surface. Here are some important details about the new rare types of asteroids and what they might contain.

Where to find rare asteroids

Asteroids can commonly be found either in the orbits of planets or in the ring systems of planets that contain large rings around them. They vary greatly in size from the size of your own starship to absolute monsters as big as a freighter. You can shoot at normal asteroids with your ship’s weapons to gain resources from them, but the absolute best piece of equipment to gain the most resources from an asteroid is the Phase Beam.

Asteroid types can vary wildly based on the location of the star system type you are in and your general location in the galaxy. Usually the rule of thumb is the closer to the galactic core you are, the more plentiful rarer resources can be, but your mileage may vary. What you want to look for are asteroids with unusual colors and shapes, as these will contain rare resources. Some will look like rocky bodies, while rarer resources can sometimes be found in “crystal asteroids” that look like spiky masses of metal. Usually the color of the star you are orbiting can affect the drop rates of certain materials as well. Such as red star systems can contain resources like Cadmium and Copper, while green star systems can contain Emeril, and so on.

What do rare asteroids contain?

The rarer asteroids can contain a variety of exotic materials that are hard to find in concentrated amounts on a planet’s surface. These can be rare metals such as Platinum, Cadmium, Emeril, and other exotic metals used in crafting a huge variety of components across the game at large. The best way to tell right off the bat what the asteroid may contain without a scanner is the color of any metallic element showing on its surface. Reddish asteroids may contain elements like Cadmium, Copper, or Sodium. Bluish asteroids may contain Indium, Cobalt, or Dioxite. And green asteroids can contain Emeril, Ammonia, or Sulphurine.