Click the sun or any planet and the facts panel fills with real published figures - diameter in km, distance in AU, and the orbital period.
A speed slider runs the orbits from a slow drift to 8x, and a pause button freezes the dance for a closer look; at 1x an Earth year takes about 12 seconds.
The page is honest about scale - sizes and distances are compressed so all eight planets fit one view, and the panel says so; the numbers in the table are the real ones.
Solar System 3D Explorer
freetoolonline.com Editorial TeamAll eight planets orbit the sun live on screen - drag to orbit the view, scroll or pinch to zoom, and watch inner planets lap the outer ones exactly as the real period ratios dictate.
It runs in the browser and needs WebGL, so on a lower-powered phone the scene automatically trims antialiasing and lightens the render to keep the orbits moving smoothly instead of stuttering.
For more context, three guides go deeper: when to use it names the use cases it fits, step by step walks through the camera, speed, and facts-panel controls, and vs installing an astronomy app covers the trade-offs honestly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Solar System 3D Explorer show?
All eight planets orbit the sun live on screen - drag to orbit the view, scroll or pinch to zoom, and watch inner planets lap the outer ones exactly as the real period ratios dictate.
Are the sizes and distances to scale?
The page is honest about scale - sizes and distances are compressed so all eight planets fit one view, and the panel says so; the numbers in the table are the real ones.
What can I click and adjust?
Click the sun or any planet and the facts panel fills with real published figures - diameter in km, distance in AU, and the orbital period.