This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by hmza
#7 — Solar System (2D)
In this article, we'll create a simple 2D simulation of the solar system using Python. We'll model the Sun and some planets orbiting around it, demonstrating basic orbital mechanics and animation with matplotlib.
🌞 What We'll Build
- A 2D plot representing the Sun at the center.
- Planets orbiting around the Sun in circular orbits.
- Animation to show continuous orbital movement.
🧮 The Physics Simplified
For simplicity, we'll use uniform circular motion for planets:
[
x(t) = R \cdot \cos(\omega t + \phi)
]
[
y(t) = R \cdot \sin(\omega t + \phi)
]
Where:
- ( R ) is the orbit radius
- ( \omega = \frac{2\pi}{T} ) is angular velocity (T = orbital period)
- ( \phi ) is the initial phase
💻 Complete Code
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.animation as animation
# Planet data: name, orbit radius (million km), orbital period (days), color, size
planets = [
("Mercury", 58, 88, "gray", 30),
("Venus", 108, 225, "orange", 50),
("Earth", 150, 365, "blue", 55),
("Mars", 228, 687, "red", 40),
("Jupiter", 778, 4333, "brown", 90),
("Saturn", 1427, 10759, "gold", 80),
]
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(8,8))
ax.set_facecolor("black")
ax.set_aspect('equal')
ax.set_xlim(-1600, 1600)
ax.set_ylim(-1600, 1600)
ax.axis('off')
# Draw Sun
sun = plt.Circle((0, 0), 100, color='yellow')
ax.add_artist(sun)
# Store planet plots
planet_plots = []
for _, radius, _, color, size in planets:
p, = ax.plot([], [], 'o', color=color, markersize=size / 10)
planet_plots.append(p)
# Time variable
t = 0
def update(frame):
global t
t += 1
for i, (_, radius, period, _, _) in enumerate(planets):
omega = 2 * np.pi / period
x = radius * np.cos(omega * t)
y = radius * np.sin(omega * t)
planet_plots[i].set_data(x, y)
return planet_plots
ani = animation.FuncAnimation(fig, update, frames=range(0, 365), interval=50, blit=True)
plt.show()
🚀 How It Works
- We set fixed orbit radii and periods for each planet.
- The update function moves each planet along its circular orbit by calculating the current position using sine and cosine.
-
matplotlib.animation.FuncAnimationhandles the animation.
🤓 Extensions
- Add elliptical orbits with eccentricity.
- Add moons orbiting planets.
- Add planet labels and trails.
- Use real-time scaled animation speed.
⚠️ Disclaimer
This is a simplified 2D model ignoring gravity interactions, planet sizes, and scale differences for visualization purposes only.
Enjoy your orbit! 🌌
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by hmza
hmza | Sciencx (2025-07-12T10:41:47+00:00) #7 — Solar System (2D). Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/07/12/7-solar-system-2d/
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