3D Models of the Solar System

File formats: VRML, PLY, PDF, and X3DOM



Below are several 3-D models of the Solar System.
The images are not to scale but the VRML models are scaled.
All VRML models on this page were made with data publicly available from the web.
This page was originally made for students at The University of Texas but is now available for anyone to use freely.
Click on image to view VRML, if you want to download VRML file right click then save.
Some models have a texture file and must be saved independently.
Some models also have a Zip file that has texture included.
To make a 3D print use MeshLab to convert to STL.
Zip files also contains a PLY file.


  The Sun. Info?   Zip
  136,000 facets : File 1,254 KB.

  Sun with rotation. Info?   Zip
  24,300 facets : File 255 KB.

  Mercury. Info?  Zip
  8,100 facets : File 108 KB.
Venus Clouds
  Venus with clouds Info?  Zip
  8,100 facets : File 110 KB.
Venus Surface
  Venus surface only. Info?  Zip
  129,600 facets : File 2,115 KB.
Venus with Ocean
  Venus with ocean. Info?   PDF  Zip
  162,000 facets : File 2,370 KB.
Earth no clouds
  The Earth. Info?  Zip
  129,600 facets : File 1,521 KB.
Earth Grace Gravity Distorted
  Earth Gravity Distorted. Info?  Zip
  130,319 facets : File 1,585 KB.
Earth Grace Gravity Distorted
  Earth Gravity Distorted. Info?  Zip
  130,319 facets : File 1,585 KB.

  The Moon. Info?  Zip
  129,600 facets : File 1,566 KB.

  Moon gravity map. Info?  Zip
  129,600 facets : File 1,566 KB.

  Mars. Info?   Zip
  518,400 facets : File 7,863 KB.
Mars with Ocean
  Mars with ocean. Info?   PDF   Zip
  550,800 facets : File 6,622 KB.

  Mars moon Deimos. Info?   Zip
  5,184 facets : File 460 KB.

  Mars moon Phobos. Info?   Zip
  5,184 facets : File 460 KB.

  Planet Jupiter. Info?
  8,100 facets : File 116 KB   Zip

  Jupiter moon Amalthea. Info?
  20,736 facets : File 1.34 MB   Zip

  Jupiter moon Callisto. Info?
  8,100 facets : File 108 KB   Zip

  Jupiter moon Europa. Info?
  8,100 facets : File 107 KB   Zip

  Jupiter moon Ganymede. Info?
  8,100 facets : File 108 KB   Zip

  Jupiter moon Io. Info?   PDF
  8,100 facets : File 108 KB   Zip

  Saturn.Info?   PDF   X3DOM  Zip
  8,820 facets : File 129 KB.

  Saturn moon Enceladus Info?
  8,100 facets : File 721 KB.   Zip

  Epimetheus. Info?   Zip
  20,736 facets : File 1.34 MB.

  Saturn moon Mimas. Info?  Zip
  129,600 facets : File 1,931 KB.

  Saturn moon Prometheus Info?
  20,736 facets : File 1.34 MB.   Zip

  Saturn moon Tethys. Info?  Zip
  8,100 facets : File 721 KB.
Uranus with rings
  Uranus. Info?   PDF   Zip
  9,540 facets : File 136 KB.
Neptune with rings
  Neptune. Info?   PDF   Zip
  9,540 facets : File 136 KB.

  Neptune moon Proteus Info?   Zip
  5,184 facets : File 460 KB.

  Pluto. Info?   X3DOM   Zip
  8,100 facets : File 106 KB.

  CMBR. Info?
  8,100 facets : File 497 KB.

  Star Map Sphere. Info?
  8,100 facets : File 497 KB.

  Eros Color Radius. Info?
  129,600 facets: File 9,615KB  Zip

  Eros True Color. Info?   PDF
  129,600 facets: File 9,234KB  Zip

  Eros Laser Counts. Info?   PDF
  129,600 facets: File 9,615KB  Zip

  Asteroid Kleopatra. Info?   X3DOM
  4,092 facets : File 367 KB.

  Asteroid Geographos. Info?
  4,092 facets : File 367 KB.

  Asteroid Toutatis. Info?
  39,996 facets : File 3,804 KB.

  Asteroid Itokawa Cocoon. Info?
  196,608 facets : File 1,684 KB.

  Asteroid Itokawa Elevation. Info?
  196,608 facets : File 2,222 KB. PDF

  Asteroid Itokawa Pickle Info?
  196,608 facets : File 2,153 KB.

  Asteroid Itokawa EggPlant 7. Info?
  196,608 facets : File 2,303 KB.

  Asteroid Itokawa EggPlant 2. Info?
  196,608 facets : File 2,296 KB.

  Asteroid Itokawa EggPlant 4. Info?
  196,608 facets : File 2,302 KB.


Notes:

Eight of the models above have PDF listed as an option. The PDFs provided are not 2D PDFs they are
3D PDFs that are interactive (rotate, zoom, or translate). To view you must have a PDF reader from Adobe.

Three of the models have X3DOM listed. If you click on X3DOM a 3D viewer will come up and will allow you
to interact (rotate, zoom, or translate) with the model. You do not need any plug-ins. The X3DOM link
will work on any modern web browser.

All rectangular images listed above have a link to a VRML file. To view the VRML model you will need a
browser plug-in to view before clicking on the any of the images. If you do not have a plug-in but still
want to download the VRML file right click on any image and select download. Some of the VRML models use
texture maps. Texture maps must be saved independently.

Some of the items listed above have Zip files. In each Zip file is a VRML model, a texture file if it
uses one, and a PLY file. To convert to other file types use MeshLab.

To make a 3D print of any of the models above download the VRML file and load it into MeshLab.
After loading into MeshLab save as STL for use in any 3D printer.


Credits:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA New Horizons Mission to the Pluto System
United States Geological Survey
NASA Galileo SpaceCraft Team
NASA Magellan Mission Team
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA Mars Global Surveyor
NASA Voyager Spacecraft Team
NASA Cassini Spacecraft Team
The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe Science Team
Center for Space Research GRACE Project
David Seal: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Peter Thomas: Cornell University
Philip Stooke: University of Western Ontario
Björn Jónsson: International Association of Astronomical Artists
Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission
Arecibo Radio Telescope
Japan AeroSpace Exploration Agency
Scott Hudson: Washington State University
Dossym Nurmukhanov: The University of Texas at Austin
Reuben Reyes: The University of Texas at Austin


How to view VRML models?
You will need a VRML viewer or VRML client for your web browser in order to view VRML models, here are a few that are free.
For Windows use Cortona, Blaxxum, Octaga or Cosmo.   For Mac OS X use Cortona.   For SGI Irix use Cosmo and for Linux use Octaga.


 ParallelGraphics
Cortona

 Blaxxum
3D Viewer

 Cosmo
Player

 Octaga
Player


To home page.
For images of 3D models try this link: Visualization Models
For other free 3D models try this link: Free 3D Models
To convert older 3D files try this link: DOS convert 3D
Information on 3D files try this link : 3D Info

For all kinds of information on 3D try this: Ultimate 3D Link

Last update: Saturday, 20-Aug-2005 10:15:07 CDT   Web by Reuben Reyes