AI

I built a free browser tool to fly through the observable universe using real catalog data (NASA/JPL, Hipparcos, Gaia, NED) — would love feedback from people who actually know the sky

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Briefings

A user named /u/bartzabbel created a free, browser-based visualization tool to display the observable universe from Earth's surface to 13.8 billion light years. The tool uses real astronomical data including NASA/JPL Keplerian elements for the solar system, real-time imagery for Earth and Mars, and catalog data from Hipparcos, Gaia, and NED for stars, galaxies, and deep-sky objects. It features 14 real black holes with gravitational lensing and 109,000 stars with spectral types, alongside a mission planner for interplanetary travel. The project is open source with all data sources and licenses listed.

Key points

• The tool displays the observable universe from Earth's surface to approximately 13.8 billion light years on a logarithmic scale.
• It utilizes real astronomical data including NASA/JPL Keplerian elements, real-time imagery for Earth and Mars, and catalog data from Hipparcos, Gaia, and NED for stars, galaxies, and deep-sky objects.

Context

The project aims to provide a continuous visual representation of the cosmos for educational or recreational use, leveraging existing astronomical datasets to create an interactive experience accessible via a browser.

Limitations

Distances are log-scaled so angular sizes between zoom levels are not physical; galaxy shapes are sprites, not resolved structure; exoplanet systems are generated, not real. The tool is a visualization prototype submitted to r/space and does not claim to be a complete scientific model.

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