Unless you’re an astronaut, or a billionaire with enough money to pay for a ride into space, you’ll probably never see what Earth looks like from above its atmosphere or see the rings of Saturn in real life (sorry to be the one to break it to you). Thankfully, NASA has created a real-time 3D browser-based experience that lets you explore the planets and their moons, asteroids, and other objects in our solar system, as well as the spacecrafts that are exploring these objects.
The browser-based app, called “Eyes on the Solar System,” uses video game technology and NASA data to let you control your point of view by clicking and dragging your mouse. NASA said this is the first time the public will actually be able to see the whole solar system as well as NASA’s missions as they move together in real-time. The app actually lets you follow NASA spacecrafts thanks to NASA’s actual space mission data.
To get started with Eyes on the Solar System, simply download the Unity Web Player, which is a free plug-in for both Mac and PC, and then you’re good to go explore the models of the planets, comets, and asteroids. In addition to seeing missions in real-time, you can also travel back in time thanks to NASA data that dates from as far back as 1950. You can also travel to the future with projected data that goes up to 2050.
There are various views available, as well as a number of controls located on pop-up menus to really customize your experience. Tabs across the bottom let you chose your time, destination, and speed. If you have a pair of red-cyan glasses, you can even see the content in 3D.
Although the concept of a real-time browser-based way to explore space is revolutionary, the video below looks like something from the ‘90s. Still, it’s informative and worth a watch before you start exploring space with Eyes on the Solar System.
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