Move through time to watch the planets change position around the Sun.
Solar System Map
Explore the planets orbiting the Sun.
The world map shows where objects appear above Earth. This view shows the other side of the story: where the planets are around the Sun, how Earth fits into that geometry, and why visibility changes through the year.
Distances compressed
Planet positions are calculated locally and shown as an educational approximation.
Click a planet on the map to open its detail card and inspect distance and orbit details.
Closest approach
Find when a planet comes closest to Earth
Search around the selected moment. Results use the same local orbital model as the map, so treat them as educational estimates rather than official ephemerides.
Select a planet and search range to find its closest approach to Earth.
Opposition finder
Find when an outer planet is opposite the Sun
Opposition is when a planet appears almost opposite the Sun in Earth's sky. This usually makes outer planets easier to observe and often places them near their closest approach.
Select an outer planet to find its next or nearest opposition in the selected range.
How to read this solar system map
The Sun is placed in the center. Each orbit line shows the planet's path around the Sun, compressed for readability. The marker position shows where that planet is estimated to be at the selected moment.
This is different from the main Celesiq world map. The world map shows apparent subpoints on Earth; this solar system map shows heliocentric geometry, which is often the missing piece when trying to understand why Venus, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn are visible at certain times of year.
Why distances are compressed
Real solar system distances are too large for a practical single-screen view. If the inner planets were shown at true scale, Neptune and Pluto would sit far outside the page. This map keeps the order and approximate orbital positions, but compresses distances.
Why this helps planet visibility
A planet's visibility depends on where Earth, the planet and the Sun sit relative to each other. When an outer planet is near opposition, for example, Earth is roughly between that planet and the Sun, which can make it visible for much of the night.
Accuracy note
The map uses local orbital calculations so it stays fast and works without external ephemeris calls. It is suitable for understanding the layout of the solar system, but exact scientific work should be checked against specialist ephemerides. The project includes a maintenance check that can compare these positions with JPL Horizons reference vectors.
Compare this with the live world map
Use this page to understand the solar-system layout. Then open the live world map to see where the Sun, Moon, planets and spacecraft appear above Earth at the same moment.