All icons in your peripheral radar have an item associated with them on your screen. This lets you identify the item, even if it is out of your field of view and off to the edge of your screen. The number accompanying each icon is the item's distance from you in meters. When a craft such as a ship or miner is in your peripheral radar gutter, a health meter will also be displayed with the icon so you know the relative health of the craft.

By pressing the I key, you can cycle through three modes of peripheral radar: Default, which labels the items of most interest; All; and Target. Your peripheral radar is based on two factors: your scan range and the radar signature of the targets.

Scan Range

Scan range is the range at which your ship will detect other objects. The greater the scan range, the farther out you will see the enemy. Scan ranges vary greatly from ship to ship. Just because you do not see them does not mean they do not see you.

The Detected by Enemy icon -- an eyeball on your HUD -- indicates that you are being scanned by an enemy.

Signature

Signature is how visible your ship is to other ships. The higher your signature, the greater chance of your ship being seen by other ships. Items you carry on mount points of your ship will give you a higher signature, thus making it easier for the enemy to see you. Carrying certain equipment items, such as cloaks; not using your boosters; and not firing your guns or missiles will all lower your signature.

Some ships can have cloaks that make them nearly invisible. Other ships can have powerful shields, but the power is so strong that their signature is visible to several thousand meters. To utilize a cloak you may have equipped, press K. Remember that this will begin draining your energy as soon as you equip it. Keep an eye on your energy, as once its used up your cloak will shut off and you'll be very visible to any nearby enemies.