Orrery
The solar system in real time. Travel through time, change the speed, switch to true scale and compare any two worlds.
ESO/S. Guisard (www.eso.org/~sguisard) (CC BY 4.0)
Orrery
Date
Scale
View
True scale: distances and sizes in true proportion. The planets are far smaller than one pixel, so they are drawn as dots.
Compare two worlds
| Earth | Mars |
|---|
Data table (text alternative)
| World | Distance from the Sun now | Light-travel time from the Sun | Ecliptic longitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | 0.4659 au | 3 min 52 sec | 264° |
| Venus | 0.7271 au | 6 min 3 sec | 352° |
| Earth | 1.002 au | 8 min 20 sec | 6.31° |
| Mars | 1.557 au | 12 min 57 sec | 84.7° |
| Jupiter | 5.304 au | 44 min 7 sec | 131° |
| Saturn | 9.435 au | 1 hr 18 min | 10.8° |
| Uranus | 19.44 au | 2 hr 42 min | 62.6° |
| Neptune | 29.88 au | 4 hr 8 min | 2.63° |
Planet positions use JPL's approximate formulas, accurate to about a few arcminutes between 3000 BC and 3000 AD.
Tools and lessons use simplified models for learning only. They must not be used for navigation, mission planning or any operational decision. Certificates are free and non-accredited. Read the educational content disclaimer