Beacon
Beacons are exploration items in Astroneer that can be used to mark various locations and help to navigate across the planets, with various color options.
Source
| Output | Input | Module |
|---|---|---|
 Beacon
|
 Quartz
|
 Backpack
|
Uses
The color of the Beacon can be changed by interacting with it. It will cycle through the following colors:
| Icon | Color |
|---|---|
|
Cyan |
|
Green |
|
Orange |
|
Purple |
|
Red |
|
Yellow |
|
Magenta |
|
Black |
|
Light Blue |
|
Dark Green |
Interacting with the beacon when it has reached the final color will turn the beacon off.
The Beacon is used to help the player find their way while exploring the different planets. Placing them on the ground and interacting allows the player to color code different locations they wish to return back to or for paths to follow around the planet surface. Markers from beacons are visible from further distances than markers from Shelters and other players, making them good to find bases from further away. Placing a beacon on a vehicle will allow for easy finding of vehicles when traveling away from them.
Beacons are clearly visible from orbit, so they can help mark which areas or landing zones that the player is using if the player has not yet built a Shelter at the location, and help find landing zones close to previously marked areas of interest.
Due to the curve of the planet beacons are not visible from certain distances. Placing beacons on top of mountains or pillars of soil will extend this distance. Note that the beacon marker will be blocked by clouds, although the vertical line connecting the colored marker to the ground may still be visible. Also, distant beacons will have their colors fade in the presence of an atmosphere, sometimes making their colors hard to distinguish.
Trivia
There are two sounds for picking up/placing a beacon similar to the sound when turning on the Compass.The volume is quite small, however.
Notes
- Patch 1.3.11 changed the blinking red option to solid yellow, unifying the style of all beacon options. This was not listed in the patch notes.
- Patch 1.5.8 added four more color options, purple, black, green and blue.
Media
Beacon Icon
Beacons as seen in the distance
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