Solar System

This interactive simulator explores Solar System in Gravity & Orbits. Interactive scaled model with time controls and orbital data. Use the controls to change the scenario; watch the visualization and any graphs or readouts to connect the model with lectures, labs, and homework.

Who it's for: Suited to beginners and first exposure to the topic. Typical context: Gravity & Orbits.

Key terms

  • solar
  • system
  • solar system
  • gravity
  • orbits

How it works

A stylized top-down view of the Sun and the eight major planets. Each body moves on a circular orbit with period equal to its real sidereal period (Kepler’s third law in years). Distances use a logarithmic mapping in astronomical units (AU) so both Mercury and Neptune stay on screen. This is a teaching model — not a scale-accurate N-body integrator.

Key equations

θ = (2π / T) · t + φ
r_orbit ∝ log(a) display mapping (AU)