Guide · Solar system explorer

How to explore space online in 3D

Mzu 3D Solar System lets you explore space online, in 3D, straight from your browser: fly around the Sun and all eight planets, see the real scale of the Solar System, and leave orbit to walk on other worlds. This guide shows how to use each part of the solar system 3D simulator.

Open the 3D explorer Planet sizes & distances

1. Move around the solar system

Rotate: drag with the mouse, or with one finger on a phone or tablet.
Zoom: scroll the mouse wheel or pinch.
Select: click or tap a planet or moon to focus the camera on it. The details panel shows its radius in kilometres and relative to Earth, its orbital semi-major axis in AU and its orbital eccentricity.
Hide the guide: press G to hide or show the side panel and see the whole scene.

2. Take the guided planet tour

If you are not sure where to start, press Start planet tour. The camera visits each planet in turn and shows a short fact card. For more detail, open a planet’s own page, such as Jupiter in 3D or Uranus in 3D, which add facts, a short article and frequently asked questions.

3. Switch to real scale

The default Artistic view compresses sizes and distances so that everything fits on screen. The Scale menu has three other settings:

Real distances places the planets at their true relative distances from the Sun.
Real sizes shrinks the Sun, planets and moons to their true relative sizes.
True scale combines both, which shows how empty the Solar System really is.

The numbers behind these views are summarised in planet sizes and distances compared.

4. Run time at real speed

The Speed menu switches from artistic motion to real orbital and rotation periods, from one hour to one year of simulated time per second. At “1 year/s”, Earth completes an orbit every second while Neptune barely moves.

5. Leave orbit: first-person expeditions

Eight expeditions let you explore worlds up close: walk on the Moon, Mars, Venus and Mercury, descend into Jupiter, or fly through the rings of Saturn and Uranus and the storms of Neptune.

6. Share, save and embed a view

Share view copies a link that reopens the planet you are looking at, Save image downloads a picture of the scene, and Copy embed gives you an iframe snippet for a class page or blog.

Performance tips

Leave Quality on Auto, which lowers the detail if the frame rate drops, or choose Low on older phones and laptops. Turn Orbit glow on to make orbits easier to follow.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to install anything to explore space in 3D?

No. You can explore space online in any modern browser with WebGL, on desktop or mobile, with no download, account or plug-in.

Is the 3D solar system to scale?

Not by default. Sizes and distances are compressed so every planet stays visible. Choose Real distances, Real sizes or True scale in the Scale menu to see the real proportions.

Does it show where the planets are tonight?

No. The planets move on their orbits, but their starting positions are not taken from a live ephemeris, so use a planetarium app to find planets in the sky.

Can I link straight to one planet?

Yes. Every planet has its own page, such as saturn.html, and links such as /?focus=Saturn open the explorer focused on that planet.

This is an artistic educational visualization. Sizes, distances and time are compressed in the default view; it is not a professional astronomy tool.