NASA's Eyes on the Solar System: The Best Free Space Visualization Tools

NASA produces some of the best free 3D visualization tools on the internet. They run in your browser, work on phones, and let you fly through the solar system, follow live missions, and zoom into Earth. Here are the tools every space fan should know.

Eyes on the Solar System

A real-time 3D simulation of every NASA mission and major solar system body. Fly to Voyager 1 and see where it actually is right now. Follow Perseverance on Mars. Watch Juno orbit Jupiter. The data is live — positions are updated continuously from JPL's ephemeris service.

Eyes on the Earth

Tracks every NASA Earth-observing satellite in real time. See where each one is right now, what it is measuring, and recent global data layers — temperatures, sea level, ice, fires, vegetation, and more. The best public dashboard for understanding Earth science from orbit.

Eyes on Exoplanets

Visit any of the 5,500+ confirmed exoplanets in 3D. See its orbit, host star, and discovery method. Includes systems like TRAPPIST-1, Kepler-186, and HD 189733. A great way to get a sense of how diverse exoplanetary systems are.

Eyes on Asteroids

Tracks all known near-Earth asteroids and comets. Shows close approaches in real time and historical encounters. Includes the spacecraft that visited specific asteroids — DART, Hayabusa, OSIRIS-REx.

Cost

Free, no account needed

Platform

Web (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)

Data source

JPL Horizons (real-time ephemerides)

Mobile-friendly

Yes — works on phones and tablets

Good for kids

Yes — visual and intuitive

How they compare to native apps

Apps like Launchcast deliver live launch tracking, ISS pass alerts, and AR sky mode — best for outdoor use and notifications. Eyes tools are best for desktop exploration and learning. Use both: Launchcast in your pocket, Eyes for deep dives at the computer.