An Orrery is a moving, mechanical model of the Solar System. It shows how all of the planets orbit around the Sun.
Use the online Orrery to see the positions of the planets in the Solar System. You can set the date to see where they are today, where they were in the past, or where they will be in the future!
Please note that this Electric Orrery is written in a computer language called JavaScript. It may not work if your Internet browser is not set up to run JavaScript programmes.
Have a go!
More information:
The Electric Orrery is aligned to the Ecliptic coordinate system. A line from the Earth to the Sun would point towards the right of the screen at the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.
An Orrery is often shown with the planets orbiting the Sun in an anti-clockwise direction. This is only true if you are viewing the Solar System from above the north of the Earth. We have chosen to show a different view, from above the south of the Earth. This is why the planets move in a clockwise direction in the Electric Orrery.