✦ Getting started
The view opens centred on Sol. Every point is a real object placed at its measured distance.
1 · Look aroundDrag to rotate and scroll to zoom out until the local neighbourhood comes into view.
2 · Pick a starClick any star to read its details; double-click to fly to it.
3 · Narrow it downUse the sidebar toggles or View → Filters… to show only what matters.
Commands live in the View menu at the top: Star list, Filters…, Reset view,
Show all and Clear saved data… This guide is always under Help, or press ?.
Tip: this guide can stay open while you explore. Drag its header to move it, drag the bottom-right corner
to resize it, and double-click the header to put it back in the middle.
↻ Moving around
| Left-drag | Rotate around the current centre star |
| Right-drag, Shift + drag or arrow keys | Pan the view |
| Scroll | Zoom in and out |
| Double-click a star | Make it the centre of rotation and fly to about 3 pc from it |
Tip: View → Reset view returns to Sol; Show all zooms out to fit every star.
The panel at the bottom right shows the current centre, scale and camera position.
◉ Selecting objects
Click a star, nebula, compact object or galaxy to open its details panel: spectral class, colour,
magnitude, coordinates, sovereignty and distances from Sol and from the rotation centre.
While something is selected, the help panel at the bottom right shows its distance to the star you are rotating around,
which makes it easy to measure between two stars: double-click the first, then click the second.
Press Esc or the × button to clear the selection.
⌕ Star list
Open View → Star list for a floating panel listing the stars nearest the centre. Type in the search box to
find a star by name; click a result to select it, double-click to fly to it.
Drag the panel by its title to move it. Esc clears the search first, then closes the panel.
⚙ Advanced filters
View → Filters… opens a draggable panel that stays on screen while you work. Build rules, then press Apply.
- ALL groups need every rule to match; ANY groups need at least one. Groups can be nested.
- NOT turns a rule or group into an exclusion.
- Rules include distance from any chosen star, object kind, spectral class, sovereignty, planet category and confirmed planets.
Example
Two separate bubbles: ANY of
within 10 pc of Sol · within 10 pc of Deneb
Under Save / load filter text, Copy filter text gives you a short string you can keep and paste back later with
Load & apply. The status at the top of the screen shows when advanced filters are active.
☾ Planets & scenarios
Choose a Scenario in the sidebar to load a published set of planetary systems; Refresh scenarios picks up new revisions.
With Colour by → Planets, stars are coloured by their planet category and Confirmed planets only hides invented systems.
Select a star with planets and press View system to see its orbits, habitable zone and planet table.
➕ Axes & views
The widget at the bottom left turns with the camera so you always know which way the Galactic Centre and the pole lie.
Its XY XZ YZ buttons snap the camera to look straight at that plane.
💾 Saved settings
Your view, toggles, filters, scenario and open panels are saved automatically in this browser and restored next time.
Nothing is sent to the server. Use View → Clear saved data… to start again from the defaults.
⌨ Keyboard shortcuts
| ? | Open this guide |
| ← ↑ → ↓ | Pan the view |
| Esc | Close the open menu, panel or dialog; otherwise clear the selection |
| Tab | Move between controls |