{
  "id": 8473333,
  "title": "SOLAR: an interactive 3D solar system on real JPL orbits, in your browser",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/solar-an-interactive-3d-solar-system-on-real-jpl-orbits-in-your",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-19T13:44:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/xtotam/solar-an-interactive-3d-solar-system-on-real-jpl-orbits-in-your-browser-51kg"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "What it is SOLAR is an interactive 3D solar system browser experience, allowing users to fly between planets and observe their positions based on real JPL orbital elements. The project is a non-commercial side undertaking, coded in React, Three.js, and TypeScript, developed in collaboration with Claude Code.\n\nPlanet positions are sourced from JPL's table of orbital elements and rates, which are valid for the period from 1800 to 2050. The client-side computational engine utilizes Newton's method to solve Kepler's equation, enabling accurate positioning for any date within this range. The mathematical foundations of the project have been rigorously tested across all eight planetary orbits, including edge cases, perihelion and aphelion points, comparison to the Earth's J2000 reference position, and retrograde periods.\n\nThe project deliberately simplifies certain aspects for performance reasons. It uses UTC as an approximation of the more precise TDB time standard, represents Earth's orbit as the Earth-Moon barycenter, omits full N-body integration, and does not model planetary moons. Additionally, the visual representation compresses distances non-linearly to prevent the inner planets from overlapping, and offers a slider to adjust the rate of time acceleration during the tour. The actual time traveled is displayed separately from the simulation duration.\n\nThe project is designed to be mobile-friendly, with a top-down ecliptic map serving as a separate mode optimized for mobile devices. Upon reaching 761px screen width, the sidebar becomes visible. Tapping on a celestial body within the map instantly plots a route, and the app displays two distance scales: a non-linear power-law scale and a true scale. Asteroid belt, Kuiper belt, and a ship marker are also indicated.\n\nThe technology stack consists of React, Three.js, TypeScript, and Vite for the build process. The application employs a Node API coupled with PostgreSQL for handling accounts and auto-save functionality. For deployment, the project utilizes Docker and Caddy for self-hosting. Lastly, the planetary textures are provided by Solar System Scope under a Creative Commons BY 4.0 license. The developer is available to answer questions regarding the orbital calculations and other aspects of the project.",
  "summary": "Live: http://xtotam.com What it is SOLAR is a non-commercial side project: an interactive 3D solar system in the browser where you fly between planets, and their positions are computed from real JPL orbital elements instead of a pre-baked animation. Stack: React + Three.js + TypeScript, written mostly in pair with Claude Code. The science part Planet positions come from JPL's table of orbital…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}