Interactive 3D models of the planets, built from real spacecraft data. Each one is a globe you can spin and zoom, with a flat map mode, every named feature from the International Astronomical Union, and the landing sites and orbits of the missions that explored it. They run in the browser on phones and computers, with nothing to install.
3D planet maps
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Find every landing site from Viking to Perseverance and follow the rover routes.
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See through the clouds with Magellan radar and visit every Venera landing site.
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Explore MESSENGER's map of the smallest planet and count down to BepiColombo.
What each model shows
- Mars: elevation from NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor laser altimeter, colour from the Viking orbiters and 1,279 named features. The mission layers show every landing site and the routes driven by five rovers.
- Venus: the surface as NASA’s Magellan radar mapped it through the clouds, 1,419 named features and every Venera, Vega and Pioneer Venus landing site. A cloud layer and a descent panel show the atmosphere from the ground to 100 km.
- Mercury: NASA’s MESSENGER imagery with an enhanced-colour mode, 560 named features, the MESSENGER flyby points and impact site, and a countdown to BepiColombo’s arrival in orbit.
How to use the models
- Move: drag to rotate. Scroll or pinch to zoom.
- Globe or flat map: the mode switch flips between the 3D globe and a flat map of the whole planet.
- Layers: turn regions, named features, missions, orbits, the latitude and longitude grid and day and night on or off.
- Search: type the name of a crater, mountain or mission to fly to it.
- Measure: pick two points to get the distance between them and an elevation profile.
- Share: copy a link that opens the model at the current view.
Frequently asked questions
Are the maps accurate?
The terrain, colour and place names come from NASA mission data and the IAU Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Relief is exaggerated by default so mountains and craters are visible from orbit. You can set the exaggeration back to 1× in each model.
Do they work on a phone?
Yes. Phones load a lighter version of the elevation data, and every control works with touch.
Can I use them in class?
Yes. They are free and need no account. The share link opens the model on the exact feature you chose, which makes it easy to put a crater or landing site on a projector. The space printables work well alongside them.