Show HN: Atlas of Space

Overall Reception

• Strongly positive response; many call it beautiful, smooth, and “bookmark-worthy.”
• Several mention showing it to kids and using it to spark conversations about space, scale, and aliens.
• People appreciate that it’s lightweight and runs well directly in the browser.

UI/UX and Usability

• Panning: users request keyboard alternatives to right-click drag and note issues on touchpads and mobile.
• Mobile: many are impressed by how well it works on phones but find centering/following planets harder than on desktop.
• Selection: repeated requests to make labels and orbit paths clickable, not just tiny planet points; also brighter non-planet labels.
• Navigation: suggestions for a “compass” or quick recenter button; there is a reset control but some miss it.
• Users ask for a way to lock view for scrolling on mobile and for deep links to specific objects.

Time Controls and Educational Use

• Many want to scroll through time, set arbitrary past/future dates, and run time backwards.
• A real-time clock and “where is this planet right now” view are requested; a real-time mode with backward time support is later added.
• Some want a consistent interpretation of ∆t, noting confusion between displayed rate and actual elapsed time.

Physics, Data, and Accuracy

• Creator explains orbits are simulated from Keplerian elements transformed to Cartesian coordinates and integrated forward.
• Limitations acknowledged: approximations, missing effects (solar wind, relativity, non-spherical bodies), and difficulty modeling co-orbitals and spacecraft trajectories.
• Bugs/quirks: initial Earth axial tilt sign was wrong (later fixed); users notice orbit lines offset from bodies and question precision.

Scope and Feature Requests

• Requests to:
  • Add Trojan asteroids, more spacecraft (beyond the Tesla Roadster), Voyager missions, FarFarOut, Bennu, and Trojan groups.
  • Hide non-planets to focus on planetary inclinations.
  • Show Lagrange points, interplanetary transport networks, and possibly relativistic mechanics.
  • Extend beyond the solar system to nearby stars, the galaxy, and other systems.
  • Add a “fictional” overlay (e.g., ring gates, sci‑fi locations) and sound effects.
  • Use it as a screensaver/active desktop.

Technology Stack and Openness

• Implemented as a static React app using Three.js for 3D and canvas for annotations, deployed on Netlify.
• Codebase is open source, and commenters praise modern browser capabilities and plan to study the implementation.

Astronomy and Terminology Side Threads

• Debate over calling the star “Sol” vs “Sun”; some see “Sol” as sci‑fi, others as valid Latin/astronomy usage.
• Observations and discussion around Pluto’s inclined, eccentric orbit and resonant “dance” with Neptune.
• Discussion of trans‑Neptunian and distant objects (Sedna, FarFarOut), and how observational bias explains their clustered positions.
• Side explanations of spacecraft attitude control, star trackers, and experimental pulsar navigation systems.
• Clarifications about lunar and planetary paths around the Sun, and an ecliptic-based coordinate system (vernal equinox, ecliptic north/south).