& TOMORROW
Explore our Solar System.
Pinch / scroll to zoom
Layers & source library
Only layers with a working data model are selectable. Moon and Pluto have reference cards, not plotted positions. Asteroids, comets, spacecraft, satellites, instruments, terrain and uncertainty regions are not yet mapped.
A starting index of free, authoritative collections, not a copy of every dataset. “Embedded” powers this map. “Live on request” is fetched when you open Earth & Sun now. “External” opens the provider’s own tools; source terms apply.
These feeds show current Earth and Sun conditions, independently of the orbital map’s date. They are not forecasts or an emergency warning service.
Not requested yet.
Earthquakes M2.5+
Open this panel to request data.
Space weather scales
Open this panel to request data.
A map for exploration, not navigation
This is a top-down 2D projection of J2000 ecliptic coordinates, with the Sun at the origin. Orbital inclination is calculated but the vertical (z) dimension is not drawn. It is not the view of the night sky from your location.
Two different distance views
Compressed mode uses radius = ln(1 + projected distance / AU), keeping inner and outer worlds visible together. It has no single distance scale. True-distance mode is linear in AU: one astronomical unit is exactly 149,597,870.7 km. Rings and the scale bar describe projected distances. Every body marker is enlarged for visibility and is not a physical-size comparison.
What the date controls actually do
Positions are calculated locally from the NASA/JPL approximate planetary positions, Table 1 coefficients and rates. They are fitted Keplerian orbits, not spacecraft telemetry or a precision ephemeris. The supported interval is 1 January 1800 through 1 January 2050. UTC is used as an approximation to the model’s dynamical time, appropriate only to this low-precision educational display.
“Earth” marks the Earth–Moon barycenter, the pair’s center of mass, not Earth’s exact center. Orbit lines are ellipses at the selected date, not exact future trajectories. Moon and Pluto records deliberately have no plotted position.
Uncertainty stays visible
The model’s error varies by planet and date. Selected-object cards show JPL’s published nominal radial error scale, not a confidence interval or a guaranteed bound. This app does not calculate collision likelihood, uncertainty clouds, close approaches, satellite passes or navigational predictions. For precision work, use JPL Horizons.
Free data, honest coverage
No account or payment is required. The app uses original UI code and embedded JPL coefficients, with no third-party code library. Current feeds are requested only when opened or refreshed. Failures are labeled unavailable; no synthetic or cached sample is substituted. Provider timestamps are displayed when available.
Model source checked 20 October 2026: NASA/JPL approximate planetary positions. This is an independent educational project, not a NASA, JPL, NOAA or USGS product.