A Python-based planetary orbit sandbox for generating and visualizing custom orbital paths.
Sandbox Orbital Simulator is a lightweight orbital mechanics sandbox written in Python. It allows users to generate, simulate, and visualize orbital paths using custom physical parameters.
The simulator is fully interactive—users can define their own system by specifying values such as:
- Mass of the planet or moon
- Initial velocities
- Distance between two bodies
- Gravitational parameters
- Any other orbital setup you want to experiment with
For convenience, the project includes three pre-designed example orbits, each demonstrating unique and interesting orbital behaviors.
- Students learning physics or orbital mechanics
- Developers exploring simulation and visualization
- Anyone who loves space and wants to play with orbital motion
📡 Custom orbital system input Set your own physical values and watch how the orbit evolves.
🪐 Three built-in example simulations These include fascinating orbit types discovered during development.
📈 Real-time visualization See the positions update frame-by-frame.
🌑 Physics-based simulation Uses gravitational equations to compute motion realistically.
🖼️ Example Snapshots
After running Example 3 for some time:
At its core, the simulator uses Newtonian gravity and numerical integration to compute the next positions of celestial bodies.
Each step updates velocity and position using the gravitational forces between the objects.
