Solar System 3D

Spin the solar system in 3D: heliocentric orbits, relative scale, and a clear bridge from orbital geometry to what is visible in tonight’s sky.

Built for STEM intuition: orbits first, then the night sky. Continue with Planet Visibility Tonight, What’s in the Sky Tonight (Sky Events), and the planets lesson (ASTRO-105).

What you can explore

• Interactive 3D heliocentric orbits
• Planet selection and focus
• Relative scale visualization
• Companion link to Planet Visibility Tonight
• Works in the browser, no install

From orbits to tonight's sky

The explorer shows heliocentric layout so you can see which planets share Earth's night side. For rise, peak, set, and compass directions from your lat/lon, continue to Planet Visibility Tonight or Sky Events.

Planets at a glance

• Mercury & Venus — inner planets that stay near the Sun; best at dusk or dawn.
• Mars, Jupiter, Saturn — outer planets that can dominate midnight skies near opposition.
• Uranus & Neptune — binocular/telescope targets; use Planet Visibility for altitude windows.

Explore the solar system then plan a planet look-up

Build orbital intuition in 3D, then get local rise/set times for tonight.

1. Open the 3D explorer — Load Solar System 3D and rotate the view to see current heliocentric layout.
2. Focus a planet — Select a planet to understand its orbit relative to Earth and the Sun.
3. Check tonight’s sky — Open Planet Visibility Tonight or Sky Events for altitude, azimuth, and best viewing windows at your lat/lon.

Frequently asked questions

Is this solar system model to scale?

Planet distances and positions are true, computed from live ephemerides. Moons are shown in their true direction from their planet, not at their true distance. Planet sizes cannot be true at the same scale, so there are two size modes: Readable enlarges the planets so you can see them while keeping the Sun the largest body, and True distances shrinks them toward points. Each mode states on screen how much it enlarges the planets and the Sun.

How do I use this to plan tonight’s sky?

Use the 3D view to understand which planets are on Earth’s night side, then open Planet Visibility Tonight or Sky Events for rise, peak, set, and compass directions from your location.

Does the Solar System explorer work on mobile?

Yes. The 3D view needs WebGL 2, which modern mobile browsers support. Use touch to orbit and pinch to zoom; for spotting times outdoors, switch to Planet Visibility Tonight.

Is the Solar System 3D tool free?

Yes. No signup. Pair it with free Sky Events, Planet Visibility, and Tonight score tools on AstroPhotosGY.

Continue with Planet Visibility Tonight · What's in the Sky Tonight · When and where to see planets (ASTRO-105)

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