Pick a world below, or begin with Earth. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom.
Our pale blue dot.
Cosmic Atlas is an independent interactive space observatory, built to make the Solar System tangible through 3D graphics and data-driven orbital motion.
Heliocentric planetary positions use JPL Horizons samples when available, otherwise NASA/JPL's published Keplerian elements. No arbitrary circular motion.
Explore mode compresses distances and enlarges planet radii. Distance mode maps AU linearly, but planet sizes remain enlarged for visibility.
Planet maps are enhanced composites, not live images. The background uses ESA Gaia's real Milky Way sky map and cataloged bright-star directions, transformed into the Solar System's fixed celestial reference frame. Survey brightness is enhanced; clouds, glow and viewing light remain artistic effects.
Hosted on GitHub Pages, with a transparent data methodology and freely accessible source code.
Astronomical positions: NASA/JPL. Planet textures: Solar System Scope, CC BY 4.0. Sky survey: ESA/Gaia/DPAC (A. Moitinho), CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. Bright stars: HYG Database, CC BY-SA 4.0. Exposure and lighting are visual representations.
Milky Way directions from ESA Gaia EDR3. Bright stars from the HYG catalog. Survey brightness is enhanced, not a naked-eye view.
Balanced viewing light improves surface visibility. Switch off for darker, more natural day/night contrast.
Linear mode scales orbit distances according to AU. Planet sizes are enlarged in both modes so they remain visible.
This 3D experience needs a modern browser with WebGL enabled.
VIEW THE SOURCE CODE ↗