Gravitational Microlensing Exoplanet 3D Explorer vs Exoplanet Transit 3D Explorer
freetoolonline.com editorial team
Both pages teach a real exoplanet-detection method in one page load - 0 MB installed, USD 0, no account. The Gravitational Microlensing Exoplanet 3D Explorer shows a foreground star briefly brightening a distant background star; the Exoplanet Transit 3D Explorer shows a planet dimming its own star by crossing its face.
The numbers side by side
| Aspect | Microlensing Explorer | Transit Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Install size | 0 MB - runs in the browser | 0 MB - runs in the browser |
| Time to first view | Seconds - one page load | Seconds - one page load |
| Price | USD 0 | USD 0 |
| Brightness change | Star brightens (magnification up) | Star dims (transit dip) |
| First confirmed detection | OGLE-2003-BLG-235 / MOA-2003-BLG-53 (2004) | Standard (Rp/Rstar)^2 depth formula |
Where Microlensing wins
Microlensing wins when the question is "how do we find planets we could never transit-detect" - the method works even for planets on wide orbits around stars that never happen to eclipse from Earth's viewpoint, and the event's brightening shape is unique to this technique.
Where Transit wins
Transit wins when the question is about the planet's own size - transit depth follows (Rplanet/Rstar) squared, so it directly compares planet radii, which the microlensing brightness curve does not show at all.
A reasonable rule
As a reasonable rule, use Transit first to build intuition for how a planet's size sets a simple dip depth, then use Microlensing to see a completely different detection signature - a brightening curve with an optional short planetary spike, not a dip.
See how to use the Gravitational Microlensing Exoplanet 3D Explorer for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Why trust these tools
- Ten-plus years of web tooling. The freetoolonline editorial team has shipped browser-based utilities since 2015. The goal has never changed: get you to a working output fast, without an install.
- No install, no sign-up. Open a tool and get a working output in seconds - nothing to download and no account to create. Tools that need heavy processing run it on our service, so even a low-powered machine gets the job done.
- Analytics stops at the page view. We measure which pages get visited, not what you type or upload inside a tool. There is nothing to sign in to and no profile is attached to your input.
- Open-source core components. The processing engines underneath (libheif, libde265, pdf-lib, terser, clean-css, ffmpeg.wasm, and others) are public and audit-able. We link to each one in its tool page's footer.
- Free, with or without ads. All tools are fully functional without sign-up. The Disable Ads button in the header is always available if you need a distraction-free run.