Calibrating deep space sensors...

Slice of the Solar System: a live, true-to-scale interactive map and sci-fi star system generator

      Distance from Star

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      Warp to:
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      A SLICE OF
      THE SOLAR SYSTEM
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      Your current slice of the cosmos is rendered across 0 pixels of digital space.

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      Frequently Asked Questions

      Why can't a typical map of the Solar System show both size and distance to scale?

      Space is incredibly empty. Try to fit the whole Solar System into one picture with accurate distances, and the planets themselves shrink to less than a single pixel. To solve this without cheating the math, this scroller model offers two true-to-scale modes:

      • Distances Mode keeps both size and distance 100% true to scale, so you can scroll or warp through the real, massive gaps between planets exactly as they exist in space.
      • Sizes Mode removes distance entirely and lines the planets up side-by-side at their true relative diameters, so you can compare them directly, choose preset comparison groups, show or hide objects, and rearrange them however you like.

      If the Sun were the size of a basketball, how far away would Earth be?

      About 85 feet (26 m) away, and Earth would be roughly the size of a golf ball's dimple (2.2 mm), with Neptune nearly half a mile out. Try the hidden Basketball Solar System easter egg to see it built out as a real interactive model. Every planet becomes a sports or hobby item at true relative scale (Jupiter as a ping-pong ball, Saturn as a paintball). For a tastier version of the same idea, the Edible Solar System easter egg swaps in groceries instead, with the Sun as a giant pumpkin, Earth as a blueberry, Jupiter as a watermelon.

      Do the planets show up in a different spot when I reload the page?

      Planet, dwarf planet, and Halley's Comet distances aren't fixed in this model. They're calculated live by solving Kepler's equation against real JPL orbital elements for the current date. Reload the page in a few months and they'll have moved, just like the real Solar System.

      How is this different from other solar system scale websites, like "If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel" or NASA's Eyes on the Solar System?

      Josh Worth's well-known "If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel" map fixes its scale at 3,475 km per pixel (the Moon's diameter) and offers a single scroll through large screens; NASA's Eyes on the Solar System is a full 3D real-time simulator built for spacecraft tracking. This site sits in between: a true-to-scale 2D map that can zoom to same scale as Worth's, but in a model optimized for mobile that keeps going past Neptune to the dwarf planets, Voyager 1's current distance, the Oort Cloud, all the way to Proxima Centauri, the nearest star. It uses live Kepler-solved planet positions, a sizes mode for direct comparisons, plus presets for real systems like TRAPPIST-1 and fictional ones like Dune's Arrakis or Star Trek's Vulcan. It also features a procedural generator that turns any word into its own explorable star system based on real astrophysics, perfect for RPG and worldbuilding enthusiasts.

      How does the TRAPPIST-1 system compare to our Solar System?

      It's dramatically more compact: all seven TRAPPIST-1 planets orbit closer to their star than Mercury orbits the Sun, and the entire system would fit inside Mercury's orbit around six times over. Explore the real, to-scale TRAPPIST-1 system yourself.

      What is the procedural universe generator?

      Type any word or phrase into the System Seed field and the engine deterministically generates a unique, shareable star system from it. The same seed always produces the same system. Alongside infinite generated systems, there are hand-built presets for real systems like TRAPPIST-1 and fictional ones like Tatooine or Bungie's Reach, plus a dedicated decoder for tabletop gamers: type a Traveller RPG Universal World Profile code (like C56789A-8) and it's parsed into a fully realized star system.

      Is this free to use?

      Yes. It's free, has no ads, requires no account, and doesn't track or transmit anything. Your preferences are only ever saved locally in your own browser.

      Can I use this in my classroom?

      Yes. There's no login and nothing tracked, so it clears most school device policies without any setup. See the Educators guide for grade-by-grade standards it covers, ready-made links for common lessons, and a five-minute activity to start with.


      Engine Architecture by Dean Dunakin | www.dunakin.com | deandunakin [at] gmail.com

      © 2014–2026 Dean Dunakin. Online in one form or another since 2014 — first shared on r/Astronomy and archived on the Wayback Machine since.

      Scientific data sourced from Wikipedia and NASA JPL.

      Prefer reading over exploring? Browse the Codex, a full written reference of every hand-crafted system.

      Teaching a class? See the Educators guide for standards-aligned activities and ready-made links.

      System Update: Multiverse Engine v2.1.11 (July 2026)


      Privacy & Telemetry: Your warp drive throttle, tactical zoom scales, deep-space scanner status, favorite star systems, recent jump history, visual preferences, and the exact kilometer where you parked your viewport are saved locally on your device. None of this telemetry is ever transmitted. No tracking, just physics.

      Astrophysics Engine Booting...

      This panel auto-generates a custom scientific breakdown explaining exactly why the planets in this generated system formed the way they did based on their proximity to the star and other orbital mechanics.

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