How to Use the Exoplanet Direct Imaging 3D Explorer - Step by Step
Open the Exoplanet Direct Imaging 3D Explorer, then use the planet-pick dropdown to see each of the four real HR 8799 planets highlighted with its own published mass, orbital separation, and discovery year.
Pick a planet from the dropdown
Open the #t3dExoplanetPick dropdown and choose "Overview" or one of the four real planets, b, c, d, or e. Picking a planet scales it up and brightens its color in the scene so you can find it among the four orbit rings.
Read the facts panel for that planet
Read the facts panel after picking a planet: it rewrites with that planet's own real mass in Jupiter masses, its real orbital separation in AU, and its confirmation year, then highlights that planet's row in the four-planet comparison table.
Note the coronagraph mask over the star
Note the bright sprite drawn over the HR 8799 star itself - it stands for the coronagraph mask that blocks most of the star's direct light in a real direct-imaging telescope, so the far fainter planet light is not overwhelmed by glare.
Watch why the planets glow orange
Watch the four planets rendered as warm-orange spheres - that color stands for their own thermal-infrared glow from leftover formation heat, not reflected starlight, which is what makes a young system like HR 8799 detectable by direct imaging at all.
Drag to orbit and use fullscreen
Drag to orbit the camera, scroll or pinch to zoom, and use the Fullscreen button to expand the whole #t3dWrapper for a clearer view of the four compressed-scale orbit rings.
Next: see when to use this explorer or how it compares to the Exoplanet Transit 3D Explorer.
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