Explore Earth's magnetosphere as a teaching schematic: dipole field lines tilted ~11 deg, sunward magnetopause compressed to ~6-10 Earth radii by the solar wind, and surface field ~25-65 uT.
Published figures: surface field ~25-65 uT, dipole tilt ~11 deg, sunward magnetopause typically ~6-10 Re under solar-wind pressure (NASA magnetosphere overview).
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. Use Quiet / Compressed presets or the magnetopause slider; toggle solar-wind particles.
Earth Magnetosphere 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Earth's magnetosphere as a teaching schematic - not an MHD model. Dipole field lines, a compressed sunward magnetopause, and optional solar-wind particles make the boundary tangible on one screen.
Surface field intensity is about 25-65 uT. The magnetic dipole tilts about 11 deg from Earth's spin axis. Solar wind compresses the sunward magnetopause to roughly 6-10 Earth radii (Re) - Quiet ~10 Re and Compressed ~6 Re presets match that published range.
Adjust tilt and magnetopause standoff, or hide the solar-wind particle stream. The facts panel lists the same figures.
- Dipole field-line cage with adjustable ~11 deg tilt
- Orange magnetopause wire shell at 6-12 Re (teaching standoff)
- Quiet ~10 Re and Compressed ~6 Re presets
- Optional solar-wind particles from the Sunward side
- Surface field ~25-65 uT in the facts table
- Complements aurora (emission curtains) and solar-wind-heliosphere (AU-scale bubble)
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
Students see why the day side is squashed; teachers demo magnetopause standoff without a blackboard sketch; curious readers connect field tilt to the aurora oval's magnetic frame.
| Figure | Value | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Surface field | ~25-65 uT | Published surface intensity range |
| Dipole tilt | ~11 deg | Magnetic vs rotation axis |
| Magnetopause (sunward) | ~6-10 Re | Solar-wind compression (NASA overview) |
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached; no scene data is sent to a server.
This is an educational dipole + boundary schematic - not an MHD magnetosphere model.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, read the Earth Magnetosphere 3D Explorer step-by-step guide. The Space 3D collection also includes Aurora 3D and Solar Wind Heliosphere 3D.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Earth Magnetosphere 3D Explorer show?
A teaching schematic of Earth's dipole field lines, ~11 deg tilt, sunward magnetopause at ~6-10 Re, and surface field ~25-65 uT with optional solar-wind particles.
How far is the magnetopause on the day side?
Typically about 6-10 Earth radii sunward under solar-wind pressure. Quiet ~10 Re and Compressed ~6 Re presets span that published range.
What is the dipole tilt?
About 11 degrees between Earth's magnetic axis and its rotation axis - the tilt slider defaults near that published value.
How strong is Earth's surface magnetic field?
About 25-65 microtesla across the surface - listed in the facts panel as the published intensity range.
Is this an MHD magnetosphere model?
No. It is an educational dipole and boundary schematic - not an MHD solver or a live space-weather forecast.
How is this different from Aurora 3D?
Aurora 3D teaches emission curtains and Kp oval size. This page teaches the large-scale field and magnetopause boundary that frames those ovals.