01 · Solar system model

Start with a model. Check it against the evidence.

Space is hard to understand because its sizes, distances, and timescales are far beyond everyday experience. This site uses interactive models to make those relationships visible, then points you to the sources behind them.

Model rule No single classroom model can show planet size and orbital distance accurately at the same time on one screen. Every visualization here states what has been simplified.

Interactive model

DISTANCES COMPRESSED · COLORS SIMPLIFIED
DRAG TO ORBIT · SCROLL TO ZOOM · SELECT A PLANET

Click any planet or button above to fly the camera into focus. Planet sizes are exaggerated relative to orbits so small worlds remain selectable.

02 · Learning method

Three steps from “that looks cool” to “I understand why.”

Visuals should start a question, not end it. Each topic follows the same learning pattern so students can separate a model from the evidence behind it.

STEP 1

Manipulate the model

Rotate a planet, change your viewpoint, or compare worlds side by side. Use motion to reveal relationships that a flat illustration hides.

STEP 2

Compare a measurable fact

Switch from a dramatic view to a scale view. Read diameter, distance, orbital period, or temperature as quantities that can be checked.

STEP 3

Verify the source

Follow the reference to NASA, JPL, ESA, or a mission page. Learn where the number, image, or simulation came from and what it can tell you.

03 · Scale laboratory

Planet size and planet distance are different problems.

The row below compares approximate planetary diameters relative to Earth. Orbital distances are intentionally not represented here; mixing both scales on one compact graphic would be misleading — see why, in detail ↗, or check the real distance scale ↗ separately.

Relative diameters

Select any planet below to inspect diameter ratio and Earth volume equivalence.

Mercury
0.38×

Venus
0.95×

Earth
1.00×

Mars
0.53×

Jupiter
11.2×

Saturn
9.45×

Uranus
4.01×

Neptune
3.88×

Earth (Baseline Reference) Diameter: 12,756 km. All other planets are compared against Earth's diameter (1.00×) and volume (1.00×).

Source: NASA Science, planet sizes ↗ · checked 2026

Intuition Check · Astronomical Scale

04 · Read visualizations carefully

A useful space image tells you what kind of truth it shows.

A photograph, an artist's concept, a simulation, and a scientific diagram can all be useful, but they do not make the same claim.

OBSERVATION

Recorded by an instrument

Ask which telescope, spacecraft, wavelength, date, and processing steps produced the image or measurement.

Tap for an example ▾

Example: Hubble's photo of Jupiter combines several exposures taken through separate color filters, then aligned and color-composited — it is real data, but the final color image is assembled, not a single snapshot.

MODEL / SIMULATION

A calculation made visible

Ask which variables were simplified, whether time or distance is compressed, and which data constrain the model.

Tap for an example ▾

Example: the 3D scene above this page is a model — planet sizes are exaggerated roughly 10× relative to their orbits so small worlds stay clickable. The orbital motion is real, but sped up.

ILLUSTRATION

An explanation, not a photograph

Useful for things we cannot photograph directly. A trustworthy source should label an artist's concept or schematic clearly.

Tap for an example ▾

Example: images of a black hole's accretion disk or an exoplanet's surface are usually artist's concepts built from indirect data — no camera has ever photographed either directly in visible light.

More examples and a quick check ↗

05 · Trusted references

Choose the reference that matches your question.

These are not ranked as “best sites.” They serve different learning jobs: first explanations, classroom activities, interactive 3D exploration, and deeper mission or science information.

Reference	Best used for	Level	Why it belongs here	Open
NASA Space Place Student first stop	Short explanations, activities, games, basic vocabulary	Elementary / early middle	Designed specifically around space and Earth science for children.	spaceplace.nasa.gov ↗
JPL Education Do & test	Hands-on projects, lessons, grade-linked STEM activities	K–12	Turns mission science into activities students can perform and measure.	jpl.nasa.gov/edu ↗
NASA's Eyes Interactive 3D	Solar system, spacecraft, asteroids, exoplanets, mission context	Middle school +	Browser-based 3D applications built around NASA data and mission models.	science.nasa.gov/eyes ↗
NASA Science Deeper reference	Planet facts, stars, galaxies, black holes, missions, images	Middle school → adult	Useful when a simplified explanation raises a more precise scientific question.	science.nasa.gov ↗
ESA Second agency view	European missions, science stories, images, education material	Middle school +	Helps students compare explanations and missions across major space agencies.	esa.int ↗

Which one should I actually open? A quick picker ↗

06 · Atlas directory

Explore all 26 space topics by category.

Each topic features an interactive visual model, clear disclosure of what is simplified, measurable scientific data, and NASA/ESA sources.

Solar System

The Sun, the 8 planets, gravity, orbits, and scales

Earth & Moon

Orbital geometry, phases, eclipses, tides, and tilt

Deep Space & Astronomy

Stars, black holes, galaxies, light-years, and exoplanets

Guides & Foundations

Critical thinking, scale literacy, and source verification