COSMIC EXPLORER DASHBOARD
Cosmic Structure
Explore the universal hierarchy: from our Solar System to Superclusters.
Space Quiz
Test your knowledge with random questions from the cosmic data archives.
Leaderboard
See the top scoring pilots and aim for the cosmic high score.
Astro-Pilot
Pilot your ship through an asteroid field and gravitational hazards.
The Cosmic Hierarchy
Select a structure to explore its details.
Solar System
Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.
Milky Way Galaxy
Our barred spiral galaxy, home to billions of stars.
Local Group
A cluster of over 50 galaxies, including Andromeda.
Laniakea Supercluster
Our vast galactic neighborhood, spanning 520 million light-years.
Black Holes
Regions of spacetime with immense gravity.
Solar System Planets
The Sun: Our Star
Statistics
Type:
G-type Main-sequence Star
Age:
4.6 billion years
Composition:
74% Hydrogen, 24% Helium, 2% Metals
Diameter:
1,392,000 km
Surface Temperature:
5,500 °C
Core Temperature:
15 million °C
Distance from Earth:
149.6 million km (1 AU)
Mass:
99.8% of the Solar System
Interesting Facts
- The Sun generates energy through nuclear fusion in its core.
- A million Earths could fit inside the Sun.
- The light we see takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to travel to Earth.
- The Sun rotates faster at its equator than at its poles.
- It is currently halfway through its life cycle and will eventually become a Red Giant.
Mercury: The Swift Messenger
Statistics
Type:
Terrestrial planet
Age:
4.6 billion years
Composition:
70% metal, 30% silicate
Diameter:
4,880 km
Surface Temperature (Day):
430 °C (700 K)
Surface Temperature (Night):
-180 °C (93 K)
Distance from Sun:
57,910,000 km (0.39 AU)
Mass:
0.00008% of the solar system
Interesting Facts
- Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system.
- Its surface is covered in craters, similar to the moon.
- A year on Mercury is only 88 Earth days long.
- It has no substantial atmosphere, leading to extreme temperature variations.
- Despite its proximity to the Sun, ice has been found in craters near its poles.
Venus: Earth's Twin
Statistics
Type:
Terrestrial planet
Age:
4.6 billion years
Composition:
Iron core, rocky mantle, thick $\text{CO}_2$ atmosphere
Diameter:
12,104 km
Surface Temperature:
462 °C (735 K)
Atmospheric Pressure:
92 times Earth's
Distance from Sun:
108,200,000 km (0.72 AU)
Mass:
0.002% of the solar system
Interesting Facts
- Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system due to a runaway greenhouse effect.
- It rotates backwards (retrograde rotation) compared to most other planets.
- A day on Venus (243 Earth days) is longer than its year (225 Earth days).
- Its atmosphere is covered in thick clouds of sulfuric acid.
- It is the second brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon.
Earth: Our Home
Statistics
Type:
Terrestrial planet
Age:
4.54 billion years
Composition:
Iron core, silicate mantle, water surface
Diameter:
12,742 km
Surface Temperature (Avg):
15 °C (288 K)
Moons:
1 (The Moon)
Distance from Sun:
149.6 million km (1 AU)
Mass:
0.003% of the solar system
Interesting Facts
- Earth is the only known planet to harbor life.
- About 71% of Earth's surface is covered in water.
- The rotation speed of Earth is gradually slowing down.
- The atmosphere shields the surface from harmful solar radiation.
- Earth has a powerful magnetic field, the magnetosphere, that protects it.
Mars: The Red Planet
Statistics
Type:
Terrestrial planet
Age:
4.6 billion years
Composition:
25% metal, 75% silicate
Diameter:
6,779 km
Surface Temperature:
-63 °C (210 K)
Core Temperature:
1,500 °C (1,773 K)
Distance from Sun:
227,900,000 km (1.52 AU)
Mass:
0.107% of the solar system
Interesting Facts
- Mars is called the Red Planet because of its iron oxide (rust) surface.
- It has the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, which is about 22 km high.
- Mars has the largest canyon, Valles Marineris, which stretches over 4,000 km long.
- A day on Mars lasts 24.6 hours, very close to an Earth day.
- Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, likely captured asteroids.
Jupiter: The Gas Giant
Statistics
Type:
Gas giant
Age:
4.6 billion years
Composition:
90% hydrogen, 10% helium
Diameter:
139,820 km
Surface Temperature:
-108 °C (165 K)
Core Temperature:
35,000 °C (35,273 K)
Distance from Sun:
778,500,000 km (5.2 AU)
Mass:
0.001 solar mass
Interesting Facts
- Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
- It has a Great Red Spot, a massive storm larger than Earth that has lasted for hundreds of years.
- Jupiter has 79 known moons, including Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system.
- It is mostly hydrogen and helium, similar to the Sun.
- Jupiter has a strong magnetic field, about 20,000 times stronger than Earth’s.
Saturn: The Ringed Wonder
Statistics
Type:
Gas giant
Age:
4.5 billion years
Composition:
96% hydrogen, 3% helium, 1% other elements
Diameter:
116,460 km
Surface Temperature:
-139 °C (134 K)
Core Temperature:
11,700 °C (11,973 K)
Distance from Sun:
1,434,000,000 km (9.58 AU)
Mass:
0.03% of the solar system
Interesting Facts
- Saturn is famous for its prominent ring system, made of ice and rock particles.
- It has 83 known moons, including Titan, the second largest moon in the solar system.
- Saturn is less dense than water, meaning it would float if placed in a giant ocean.
- Its winds are extremely fast, reaching up to 1,800 km/h.
- Saturn has a strong magnetic field, though weaker than Jupiter’s.
Uranus: The Tilted Giant
Statistics
Type:
Ice giant
Age:
4.5 billion years
Composition:
83% hydrogen, 15% helium, 2% methane and other gases
Diameter:
50,724 km
Surface Temperature:
-197 °C (76 K)
Core Temperature:
4,700 °C (4,973 K)
Distance from Sun:
2,871,000,000 km (19.2 AU)
Mass:
0.004% of the solar system
Interesting Facts
- Uranus rotates on its side, making its axis almost horizontal.
- It has 27 known moons, named mostly after characters from Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.
- Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system.
- Its blue-green color comes from methane in its atmosphere, which absorbs red light.
- Uranus has faint rings, first discovered in 1977, that encircle the planet.
Neptune: The Deep Blue
Statistics
Type:
Ice giant
Age:
4.5 billion years
Composition:
80% hydrogen, 19% helium, 1% methane and other gases
Diameter:
49,244 km
Surface Temperature:
-201 °C (72 K)
Core Temperature:
5,400 °C (5,673 K)
Distance from Sun:
4,495,000,000 km (30.1 AU)
Mass:
0.005% of the solar system
Interesting Facts
- Neptune has the strongest winds in the solar system, reaching up to 2,100 km/h.
- It has 14 known moons, including Triton, which orbits backwards and may be a captured object.
- Its blue color is due to methane in its atmosphere.
- A day on Neptune lasts about 16 hours, while its year is 165 Earth years.
- Neptune was the first planet discovered through mathematical prediction rather than direct observation.
The Milky Way Galaxy
The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy and home to our Solar System. It contains 100–400 billion stars and at least 100 billion planets. [Image of Milky Way Galaxy]
Detailed analysis of the Milky Way is coming soon!
The Local Group
The Local Group is the galaxy group that includes the Milky Way. It comprises more than 50 galaxies, the largest being the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way. [Image of Local Group of galaxies]
Detailed information on the Local Group is coming soon!
Laniakea Supercluster
The Laniakea Supercluster is the galaxy supercluster that is home to the Milky Way and approximately 100,000 other galaxies. Its name means 'immeasurable heaven' in Hawaiian. [Image of Laniakea Supercluster map]
Detailed information on Laniakea is coming soon!
Black Holes: The Ultimate Gravity
A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing—no particles or even electromagnetic radiation such as light—can escape from it. [Image of black hole event horizon]
Detailed information and simulated journeys into a Black Hole are coming soon!
Space Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Cosmic Pilot Leaderboard
Top scores will appear here after taking the Space Quiz!
- 1. Astro Pilot (Demo)Score: 5/5 | Time: 25.5s
- 2. Star Voyager (Demo)Score: 5/5 | Time: 31.2s
Note: Leaderboard requires Firestore integration to function dynamically. Now showing top 20.
Astro-Pilot: Avoidance Training
Use **Arrow Keys** (or the on-screen buttons below) to pilot your ship. Avoid Asteroids, the Black Hole's pull, and the deadly Star Explosion!