🌍 Solar System Simulation

A Python-based solar system simulator using real NASA orbital elements, Runge-Kutta integration, and 3D visualization with Plotly.

(If you don’t have an image yet, take a screenshot of your simulation and add it to the repo!)

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📜 Features

✅ Uses real NASA orbital elements to calculate planetary positions
✅ Implements Runge-Kutta (RK4) for accurate orbit simulation
✅ 3D visualization with Plotly
✅ Fast computation with NumPy vectorization
✅ Supports saving and loading simulations

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⚙️ Installation

Make sure you have Python 3.8+ installed. Then, clone this repository and install the dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/solar-system-simulation.git
cd solar-system-simulation
pip install -r requirements.txt

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🚀 How to Run

Run the simulation with:

python simulation.py

You'll be prompted to enter the number of simulation steps and time step:

Enter number of simulation steps (e.g., 1000): 1000
Enter time step in seconds (e.g., 86400 for 1 day): 86400

After running, a 3D visualization will appear showing the planetary orbits.

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📊 Saving & Loading Simulations

You can save a simulation and reload it later:

# Save a new simulation
python simulation.py --save simulation.npz

# Load and visualize a previous simulation
python simulation.py --load simulation.npz

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🌎 Example Output

Here’s an example of what the simulation generates:

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🛠️ Customization

Want to modify the planets or add custom objects? Edit orbital_elements.json and change the semi-major axis, eccentricity, or mass to include asteroids, moons, or exoplanets!

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📜 Future Improvements

• 🌠 Real-time animation instead of precomputed paths
• 🚀 Custom object insertion (add spacecraft, asteroids, etc.)
• 🪐 Moon systems (simulate moons of Jupiter, Saturn, etc.)

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📝 Acknowledgments

🌌 Data Sources: NASA JPL Horizons System
📚 Algorithms: Runge-Kutta 4th Order, Keplerian orbital mechanics

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📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.