Ecosyste.ms: Awesome

An open API service indexing awesome lists of open source software.

Awesome Lists | Featured Topics | Projects

https://github.com/thomasafink/orbital-mechanics

A comprehensive 3D visualization of our solar system including planets, moons, asteroid belts, and the Oort cloud implemented in Python using Matplotlib.
https://github.com/thomasafink/orbital-mechanics

asteroid-belt asteroids astro astrophysics nasa orbital-dynamics orbital-mechanics orbits physics python simulation solar solar-system space system

Last synced: 8 days ago
JSON representation

A comprehensive 3D visualization of our solar system including planets, moons, asteroid belts, and the Oort cloud implemented in Python using Matplotlib.

Host: GitHub
URL: https://github.com/thomasafink/orbital-mechanics
Owner: ThomasAFink
License: mit
Created: 2024-11-26T19:16:03.000Z (2 months ago)
Default Branch: main
Last Pushed: 2025-01-19T15:27:30.000Z (18 days ago)
Last Synced: 2025-01-19T16:27:24.051Z (17 days ago)
Topics: asteroid-belt, asteroids, astro, astrophysics, nasa, orbital-dynamics, orbital-mechanics, orbits, physics, python, simulation, solar, solar-system, space, system
Language: Python
Homepage:
Size: 60.5 KB
Stars: 1
Watchers: 1
Forks: 0
Open Issues: 0
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE

Awesome Lists containing this project

README

        # Solar System 3D Animation

A comprehensive 3D visualization of our solar system including planets, moons, asteroid belts, and the Oort cloud implemented in Python using Matplotlib.



## Features

- Full 3D representation of the solar system

- Accurate orbital mechanics based on Kepler's laws

- Includes all planets and major moons

- Visualization of:

  - Asteroid Belt

  - Hildas Group

  - Jupiter Trojans

  - Kuiper Belt

  - Inner Oort Cloud (Hills Cloud)

  - Outer Oort Cloud

- Dynamic camera with smooth zoom

- Multiple output formats (GIF, 1080p MP4, 4K MOV)

- Light and dark theme options

## Mathematical Physics

### Orbital Mechanics

The simulation uses Kepler's laws of planetary motion to calculate orbital positions:

1. **Kepler's First Law**: Orbits are elliptical with the Sun at one focus

   ![equation](https://latex.codecogs.com/png.latex?r=\frac{a(1-e^2)}{1+e\cos\theta})

   where:

   - r = distance from the sun

   - a = semi-major axis

   - e = eccentricity

   - θ = true anomaly

2. **Kepler's Second Law**: Equal areas are swept in equal times

   ![equation](https://latex.codecogs.com/png.latex?\frac{dA}{dt}=\frac{1}{2}r^2\frac{d\theta}{dt}=constant)

3. **Kepler's Third Law**: The square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis

   ![equation](https://latex.codecogs.com/png.latex?T^2=\frac{4\pi^2}{GM}a^3)

### 3D Position Calculation

The position of celestial bodies is calculated using:

```mermaid

graph TD

    A[Orbital Elements] --> B[Calculate in Orbital Plane]

    B --> C[Apply Inclination]

    C --> D[Apply Ascending Node]

    D --> E[Final 3D Position]

```

Position calculation formula:

![equation](https://latex.codecogs.com/png.latex?%5Cbegin%7Bpmatrix%7D%20x%20%5C%5C%20y%20%5C%5C%20z%20%5Cend%7Bpmatrix%7D%20%3D%20%5Cbegin%7Bpmatrix%7D%20%5Ccos%5COmega%20%26%20-%5Csin%5COmega%5Ccos%20i%20%5C%5C%20%5Csin%5COmega%20%26%20%5Ccos%5COmega%5Ccos%20i%20%5C%5C%200%20%26%20%5Csin%20i%20%5Cend%7Bpmatrix%7D%20%5Cbegin%7Bpmatrix%7D%20r%5Ccos%5Ctheta%20%5C%5C%20r%5Csin%5Ctheta%20%5Cend%7Bpmatrix%7D)

Where:

- Ω = ascending node

- i = inclination

- r = orbital radius

- θ = orbital angle

## System Architecture

```mermaid

classDiagram

    class Config {

        +SETTINGS: dict

        +frames: int

        +camera_distance: float

        +planets: dict

        +asteroid_counts: dict

    }

    class SolarSystemAnimation3D {

        +init_positions()

        +update(frame)

        +calculate_3d_position()

        +calculate_visibility()

        +animate()

        +save()

        +save1080p()

        +save4k()

    }

    Config -- SolarSystemAnimation3D

```

## Requirements

- Python 3.7+

- NumPy

- Matplotlib

- FFmpeg (for video output)

## Installation

```bash

pip install numpy matplotlib

# For video output

apt-get install ffmpeg  # Linux

brew install ffmpeg    # macOS

```

## Usage

Basic usage:

```python

from complete_solar_system_3d import SolarSystemAnimation3D

# Create animation

solar_system = SolarSystemAnimation3D(style='default')

# Display animation

solar_system.animate()

# Save as GIF

solar_system.save("solar_system.gif")

# Save as 1080p video

solar_system.save1080p("solar_system_1080p.mp4")

# Save as 4K video

solar_system.save4k("solar_system_4k.mov")

```

## Customization

You can modify the Config.SETTINGS dictionary to:

- Adjust animation frames

- Change camera behavior

- Modify planet/moon properties

- Adjust asteroid population sizes

## Performance Notes

- The animation is computationally intensive, especially with large asteroid populations

- 4K rendering requires significant memory and processing power

- Consider reducing asteroid counts for smoother performance

## License

MIT License - feel free to use and modify for your own projects!