Interactive Solar System
Click on the sun or orbiting planets to explore our cosmic neighborhood.
About This Visualization
The solar system is unfathomably huge! To fit everything on your screen, this tool uses a representative scale.
- Scale Reality Check: If the Sun were drawn to true scale next to Earth on this screen, the Sun would be larger than your entire monitor, and Earth would be a microscopic speck!
- Distance Reality Check: If we drew the orbits to scale, Neptune would be miles away from your device.
- Orbital Speeds: The speeds shown in this widget are proportionally relative. Planets closer to the Sun experience stronger gravitational pulls and orbit much faster than the outer gas giants.
About the Interactive Solar System Explorer
The universe is a vast, beautiful, and mind-bogglingly massive place. While we can look up at the night sky and see the twinkling light of distant stars, it is incredibly difficult to truly conceptualize the size and scale of our own cosmic neighborhood. Our free Interactive Solar System Explorer allows you to zoom out and watch the celestial ballet of the planets orbiting our Sun. Whether you are a student working on a science project, a teacher needing a visual aid, or just a space enthusiast, this tool provides a fun, hands-on way to explore the cosmos.
How to Explore the Planets
- Interactive Orbits: Watch the live simulation of the planets circling the Sun. Notice how the inner, terrestrial planets (like Mercury and Venus) complete their orbits much faster than the massive gas giants lingering in the outer solar system.
- Click to Discover: Simply click on the Sun or any of the orbiting planets to pull up their dedicated data panel. The tool will instantly display the celestial body's name, classification (e.g., Gas Giant vs. Ice Giant), and a brief description of its environment.
- Compare the Stats: Every planet card includes hard data for you to compare. You can check the exact radius in miles to understand their physical size, see how many known moons they have captured in their gravity, and find out exactly how long it takes them to complete one full orbit around the Sun.
- Fun Astronomical Facts: Did you know that Saturn has such a low density that it would float in a giant bathtub? Or that Venus spins backwards? Every time you click a planet, you will uncover a unique piece of space trivia!
A Note on Scale and Distance
It is important to remember that this visualization uses a representative scale so that all the planets can fit onto your screen at the same time. Space is mostly... well, space! If we drew the Sun to its true, mathematically accurate scale relative to the Earth in this simulation, the Sun would be larger than your entire computer monitor, and the Earth would be a microscopic speck. Similarly, if we drew the distances between the orbits accurately, Neptune would literally be miles away from your device! The speeds shown in the widget are proportionally relative to help illustrate how gravitational pull affects orbital velocity.
Explore More Free Science and Physics Simulators
If you loved taking a tour of the planets, FlipNSpin has an entire galaxy of free, interactive science tools for you to explore! Want to take control of the cosmos yourself? Try launching your own custom planets in our Gravity Orbit Physics Simulator. If you want to dive into the building blocks of matter instead of the stars, check out our Interactive Periodic Table. Prefer to study mechanical forces here on Earth? Try dropping objects in our Projectile Motion Simulator or experiment with swinging motion using the Pendulum Wave Simulator. Browse our complete library of Science Games & Calculators to keep your brain challenged and entertained!