Solar System

Solar System is a compact model of our neighbourhood: a glowing sun at the centre and the eight planets on their orbits around it, from Mercury out to Neptune. Each planet has its own surface texture, Saturn wears its rings, and Earth is the full globe with city lights on its night side.

How it works

Distances are compressed and the planets enlarged so everything fits in one view and stays readable, but the timing follows reality: each planet takes its true number of Earth years to go round, so Mercury races while Neptune barely moves. At the default speed one Earth year lasts eight seconds. Each planet spins on an axis tilted like the real one, Venus turns backwards, and Earth's day side always faces the sun as it travels.

Settings

• Orbit Speed Multiplier: the clock for every orbit and spin; 0 freezes the system.
• Enable Orbit and Enable Self Rotation: switch the orbits and the planet spins on or off.
• Show Orbit Rings, Orbit Ring Color and Orbit Ring Opacity: the orbit lines.
• Sun Radius, Sun Color and Sun Intensity: the size and tint of the sun, and the brightness of the sun and its light.

The speed, colours and brightness can be keyframed or tied to the cursor.

Use it for

Education, science and kids' content, astronomy pages and playful space-themed hero sections. See Earth on its own, or add Planetary Rings to any planet you build.