Real-time Solar System
Ranked 6 of 31 interactive visualizations by recommenders
A free browser visualization of the Solar System with 526k asteroids and tracked satellites, praised for smooth, fast performance. Critics say planets are hard to select or center on.
A free browser visualization of the Solar System with 526k asteroids and tracked satellites, praised for smooth, fast performance. Critics say planets are hard to select or center on.
18 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 16
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 89%
Recommended in 1 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 16 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 8 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 1 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Smooth, fast performance
“this really puts it into perspective. Impressive work keeping everything performant.”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Show HN: Real-time Solar System with 526k asteroids and all tracked satellites” “runs surprisingly smoothly (at least in browser; didn't check mobile)”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Show HN: Real-time Solar System with 526k asteroids and all tracked satellites” “website is extremely fast and responsive, well done”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Show HN: Real-time Solar System with 526k asteroids and all tracked satellites” - Comment from 29 Sep 2026 in “Show HN: Real-time Solar System with 526k asteroids and all tracked satellites”
- Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Show HN: Real-time Solar System with 526k asteroids and all tracked satellites”
Realistic perspective on the Solar System
“this really puts it into perspective. Impressive work keeping everything performant.”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Show HN: Real-time Solar System with 526k asteroids and all tracked satellites” “I think this resoundingly meets the bar for "a view of the Solar System"”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Show HN: Real-time Solar System with 526k asteroids and all tracked satellites”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Hard to select or center planets
“Not easy to select or center on a planet though.”
Comment from 29 Sep 2026 in “Show HN: Real-time Solar System with 526k asteroids and all tracked satellites”
Other interactive visualizations people recommend
The four most recommended other interactive visualizations, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ciechanow.ski | 33 | 1 | 97% | 9 | — | Approved |
| Size of Life | 30 | 4 | 88% | 2 | — | — |
| PGSimCity | 27 | 3 | 90% | 1 | — | — |
| Ithihāsas | 18 | 3 | 86% | 1 | — | — |
| Real-time Solar SystemThis page | 16 | 2 | 89% | 1 | — | — |
What people said
13 of the 18 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“website is extremely fast and responsive, well done”
“even selecting e.g. a Starlink sat I do not see any motion.”
“This is awesome! Thank you for building this.”
“this really puts it into perspective. Impressive work keeping everything performant.”
“Tracking ISS orbit combined with live feed is amazing.”
“I love how smooth it is! Amazing work”
“I think this resoundingly meets the bar for "a view of the Solar System"”
“Turning on asteroids is a jump scare”
“Fun: 116 d/s with Earth/etc selected, gives a Sun "orbiting" the Earth/etc effect.”
“runs surprisingly smoothly (at least in browser; didn't check mobile)”
“Beautiful site. I love how tranquil the scene becomes when satellites and spacecraft is unchecked.”
“Wow, speedy and convenient! Well done!”
“Not easy to select or center on a planet though.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.