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Loading contentAn interactive, to-scale model of the Sun's planetary system. Each orbit ring is drawn at the planet's real semi-major axis, so the true structure of the system — the crowded inner planets and the vast reaches of the outer ones — is genuine. Drag to rotate the system, scroll to zoom.
To scale — real relative distances
Real semi-major axes (astronomical units) from the solar-system catalogue; orbit sizes are to scale. Each planet is marked on its orbit at an illustrative angle — the along-orbit phase is schematic, not a computed ephemeris.
This is a scale diagram of orbital distances, not a live sky ephemeris: the angular position of each planet along its orbit is illustrative. Moons are not placed (their orbits are tiny at this scale) — they are catalogued in the Moon Explorer.
The same measured data as the visual scene, as a table — readable without JavaScript and by a screen reader.
Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.