Interactive Solar System Simulation — Orbital Mechanics and Planetary Motion in the Browser

The Solar System Simulation is a real-time interactive model of all eight planets orbiting the Sun, rendered in a top-down 2D view that accurately represents relative orbital periods, distances (on a logarithmic scale), and planetary sizes. Users can click on any planet to see its key physical data — mass, diameter, orbital period, distance from the Sun, and number of moons — displayed in an information panel.

The orbital animation is driven by Kepler's laws of planetary motion: each planet's speed varies according to its distance from the Sun, moving fastest at perihelion and slowest at aphelion. The simulation includes the eight classical planets plus their relative orbital eccentricities, giving a visually accurate sense of how the inner rocky planets orbit much faster than the outer gas giants. Speed controls allow the simulation to run at accelerated time to observe multiple orbital cycles.

Keywords: solar system simulation, planetary orbital mechanics, Kepler's laws interactive, planet orbit browser, interactive astronomy tool, solar system model, planetary motion visualization, space education simulator, orbit period comparison, solar system 2D model