thinkzone.wlonk.com

Solar System Scale Model Calculator
Instructions for Website Developers

The Main Page - SolarSystemModel.php

Use this URL to link to the Solar System Scale Model Calculator main page.

Alternatively, you may start with "https". URLs starting with "http" will automatically redirect to "https".

Change Notice (Jan 2019): Secure HTTPS enabled on thinkzone.wlonk.com.

URL Query Parameters

URL query parameters may be used to pre-define the model and set options for the main page (SolarSystemModel.php), the Map page (SolarSystemMap.html), or the KML page (SolarSystem.kml.php).

These parameters are required to define the scale a model: (scale) or (obj & dia) or (obj & dist).

These parameters are required to define a location on the map: (lat & lon) or (loc).

For the Map page or KML page, the only applicable parametes are: scale, obj, dia, dist, lat, lon, loc, and the planet options.

Parameter Value Description
Scaling parameters
scale= number > 1 Model scale.
obj= sun or planet name Base object for scaling: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Eris, Planet9
dia= number+m|cm|km|ft|in|mi
example: 2.5m		 Model diameter of sun or planet.
dist= number+m|cm|km|ft|in|mi
example: 1000ft		 Model distance of planet from the sun.
Location parameters
lat= -90 to 90 Latitude of center of solar system on map.
lon= -180 to 180 Longitude of center of solar system on map.
loc= lat,lon Latitude and longitude, comma-separated. (Alternative)
Section options
table= y/n (default y) Show solar system table on main page.
map= y/n (default n) Show solar system map on main page.
Units options
us= y/n (default n) Show US units (mi/ft/in) rather than metric (km/m/cm) on table.
Planet options
mercury= y/n (default y) Show Mercury.
venus= y/n (default y) Show Venus.
earth= y/n (default y) Show Earth.
mars= y/n (default y) Show Mars.
ceres= y/n (default y) Show Ceres - Asteroid Belt.
jupiter= y/n (default y) Show Jupiter.
saturn= y/n (default y) Show Saturn.
uranus= y/n (default y) Show Uranus.
neptune= y/n (default y) Show Neptune.
pluto= y/n (default y) Show Pluto - Kuiper Belt.
eris= y/n (default n) Show Eris - Scattered Disk.
planet9= y/n (default n) Show Planet 9 - Distant Detached Objects.
(Planet 9 is hypothetical. This option may be removed or renamed in future.)
Table options
rings= y/n (default n) Show rings table.
moons= y/n (default n) Show moons table.
stars= y/n (default n) Show stars and galaxies table.
minmax= y/n (default n) Show min/max distances on table.
au= y/n (default n) Show astronomical units on table.
light= y/n (default n) Show light travel times on table.

Examples:

The boolean options will accept values y/n or 1/0.

Change Notice (July 2016): Added options for all individual planets. Added new lat & lon query parameters (old loc=lat,lon is still supported).

KML Files

Thinkzone Solar System Model uses KML files or KML layers to draw the planet orbit circles on a map.

You may use KML files with many mapping tools, like Google Maps API, Google My Maps, Google Earth, Google Earth Web, and ArcGIS.

KML is XML. You can read and edit KML.

You may zip-compress a KML file to make a KMZ file.

The Map Page - SolarSystemMap.html

The Map page shows nothing but a full-window Google map with the solar system KML layer applied. Use this URL to link to or embed an interactive solar system map in your webpage.

Examples:

Change Notice (Jan 2015): Old map URLs containing "maps.google.com" with custom KML layer are no longer supported.

The KML Page - SolarSystem.kml.php

This KML URL generates a KML file with the planet orbits to be applied to a map. You may reference this URL live or use it to download a KML file that you keep.

Examples:

Methods for Showing the Map on Your Site

Here are some ways (as of 2015) to make your web page or your custom map show the planet orbits with the scale, location, and options set as you choose. If you create a custom map you may add your own content, such as markers for the locations of your planets.

Method 1. Link to Solar System Scale Model Calculator main page. On your web page, link to the Solar System Scale Model Calculator main page (SolarSystemModel.php), with the scale, location, and options preset as you choose. Use table=y/n and map=y/n options to set whether it initially shows the table, the map, or both. The main page gives the user the freedom to explore and change the scale, location, and options.

HTML example:

<a href="http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/SS/SolarSystemModel.php?obj=Sun&dia=1m&lat=47.622493&lon=-122.352017&table=n&map=y">Solar System Scale Model Calculator</a>

Method 2. Link to the Map page. On your web page, link to the Map page (SolarSystemMap.html) with the scale, location, and options set as you choose.

HTML example:

<a href="http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/SS/SolarSystemMap.html?obj=Sun&dia=30ft&lat=47.622493&lon=-122.352017">Solar System Map</a>

Method 3. Embed the Map page. On your web page, embed (for example, with iframe) the Map page (SolarSystemMap.html) with the scale, location, and options set as you choose.

HTML example:

<iframe width="500" height="500" src="http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/SS/SolarSystemMap.html?obj=Sun&dia=30ft&lat=47.622493&lon=-122.352017"></iframe>

Method 4. Create a map with Google Maps API and link to KML. Create your own customizable map on your web page using Google Maps API. Apply the solar system KML layer with a live reference to the Thinkzone KML page (SolarSystem.kml.php) with the scale, location, and options set as you choose.

JavaScript example:

var map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map-canvas'), {});
var kmlUrl = "http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/SS/SolarSystemMap.html?obj=Sun&dia=30ft&lat=47.622493&lon=-122.352017";
var kmlLayer = new google.maps.KmlLayer(kmlUrl, {});
kmlLayer.setMap(map);

Method 5. Create a map with Google Maps API and KML. Create your own customizable map on your web page using Google Maps API. Download a Thinkzone KML file with the scale, location, and options set as you choose. Apply your KML file to your map.

JavaScript example:

var map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map-canvas'), {});
var kmlUrl = "http://mywebsite/mySolarSystemModel.kml";
var kmlLayer = new google.maps.KmlLayer(kmlUrl, {});
kmlLayer.setMap(map);

Method 6. Create a map with Google My Maps and KML. Create your own customizable map with Google My Maps. Download a Thinkzone KML file with the scale, location, and options set as you choose. Import your KML file into your map.

Change Notice (Dec 2024): Each solar system KML file now contains only one folder/layer without subfolders for each planet. This accommodates the Google My Maps limitation of 10 folders/layers.

Method 7. Create a map with ArcGIS and KML. Create your own customizable map with ArcGIS. Download a Thinkzone KML file with the scale, location, and options set as you choose. Import your KML file into your map.

Method 8. Create a map with Google Earth Web and KML. Create your own customizable map project with Google Earth Web. Download a Thinkzone KML file with the scale, location, and options set as you choose. Import your KML file into your map.

Stacking Order of Map Objects

If you make a custom map, you may need to consider the stacking order of the layers and objects on your map. Some map implementations may prevent users from selecting map objects that are covered by other map objects, even if the underlying objects are visible because the overlying objects are semi-transparent. (In 2024, our experience was that Google My Maps had this problem, but Google Maps API, Google Earth, Google Earth Web, and ArcGIS did not.) The planets' wide semi-transparent orbital range rings may cover other objects, such as your custom markers, making them unselectable. If this is a problem, you may need to rearrange the stacking order of your layers or objects. Notice that Pluto's wide orbital range ring completely encompasses Neptune's orbital range ring (Pluto is sometimes closer to the sun than Neptune), so Neptune's entire orbital range ring may be unselectable. If this is a problem, you may need to rearrange the stacking order of Neptune and Pluto. (Similarly, Eris's range ring overlaps Pluto's.) In the Thinkzone KML file, all objects are in a single layer, the planets (starting with Mercury) are in order of increasing distance from the sun, and each planet's wide min-max-distance orbital range ring comes before its narrow average-distance orbit circle.

Change Notice (Dec 2024): In the KML file, each planet's wide min-max-distance orbital range ring now comes before its narrow average-distance orbit circle.

Map Usage Limits

This website uses Google Maps API, which has free usage limits. The free usage limits (as of 2018) are: if all users of this site generate more than about 1000 Google maps per day worldwide, this website will not generate any more maps that day for anybody. If that happens, all users will need to wait until the next day. If the maps are not working on this website, you can still download a KML file and view it using another map application. There are no limits to the number of KML files that may be generated and downloaded. You are welcome to generate all the maps you need, but please avoid generating hundreds of maps if you don't need to.

Change Notice (June 2018): Google Maps reduced free usage limits.

Terms of Use - KML

You may use (and modify) the downloaded Solar System Model KML files without restriction. The KML files are internally marked as created by thinkzone.wlonk.com, Keith Enevoldsen, with No Rights Reserved (CC0).