NASA Eyes vs Solar System Scope

NASA Eyes is a free suite of interactive 3D applications for exploring NASA data and imagery in a web browser. Eyes on the Solar System lets users move among planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and spacecraft in a simulated view spanning 1950 to 2050. Eyes on Asteroids follows more than 30,000 asteroids near Earth's orbit and identifies the next five closest approaches. Earth views present data on topics including carbon dioxide, ozone, sea level, weather, precipitation, and soil moisture. Eyes on Exoplanets offers exploration of more than 5,500 confirmed systems, with filters for planet type, detection method, and observatory. DSN Now refreshes Deep Space Network station information every five seconds; Mars Relay Network visualizes communications involving Mars orbiters, landers, and rovers. NASA says the browser apps work on internet-connected devices with a modern browser, including phones, tablets, computers, and Linux systems. NASA also provides guidance for museum and educational use, website embeds, and kiosk setups. Older downloadable editions still run but are no longer supported.

Solar System Scope models the Solar System, night sky and outer space, showing object positions alongside related facts. Its 3D encyclopedia covers planets, dwarf planets and major moons with visualizations. The night-sky view can show stars and constellations from a chosen location on Earth and simulate skies from past or future times; the mobile version also lets users point a device toward the sky to find celestial objects. The maker says its calculations use NASA-published orbital parameters, and its planet and moon maps use NASA elevation and imagery data, with colors tuned against spacecraft and Hubble imagery. The Android encyclopedia is available in 19 languages. Solar System Scope runs on Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows. The online version is free, as are mobile apps with optional in-app purchases. The Windows and Mac desktop app costs $9.80, paid once and includes fullscreen and offline modes. The maker also provides embed code for websites and textures for image viewing or 3D rendering.