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How to Explore Galactic Coordinate Transforms 3D Explorer
Open the Galactic Coordinate Transforms 3D Explorer, scrub the precession-year slider, and watch the equatorial plane trace its real 25,772-year path around the fixed ecliptic plane.
- Open https://freetoolonline.com/space-3d/galactic-coordinate-transforms.html and wait for the three tilted planes and starfield to render.
- Scrub the precession-year slider away from "Today" and watch the red equatorial plane rotate around the fixed yellow ecliptic plane.
- Press "Play precession" to run the cycle automatically at an accelerated rate.
- Click "Thuban (2700 BCE)" to jump to the era when Thuban was the pole star, then "Vega (14,000 CE)" to see the opposite side of the circle.
- Toggle the ecliptic, galactic, or equatorial plane checkboxes off one at a time to see the remaining planes more clearly.
- Read the facts panel for the live precession-clock year, the nearest pole star, and the published angle and period figures.
Key published figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Obliquity (equatorial-to-ecliptic) | 23.4393 degrees |
| Galactic plane to ecliptic | about 60.2 degrees |
| Precession period (modern) | about 25,772 years |
| Sun's distance from galactic center | about 26,000 light-years |
Next: the when guide or vs alternatives. Open the Galactic Coordinate Transforms 3D Explorer.
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