HomeSpace & AstronomyIcy Moon Tidal Heating Simulator

Icy Moon Tidal Heating Simulator

Orbit an icy moon around a giant planet on an adjustable-eccentricity ellipse: watch it flex at periapsis, drive a live tidal-heating gauge, and fast-forward geological time to see a subsurface ocean freeze solid or stay liquid under the ice shell.

Space & Astronomy3DModerate60 FPS💧 Water🌍 Earth❄️ Ice & Cold
icy-moon-tidal-heating-simulator ↗ Open standalone

An icy moon circles a giant planet on an ellipse whose eccentricity you control. Watch the moon's shape flex as its distance to the planet swings between periapsis and apoapsis each orbit, read the live tidal-heating gauge that spikes with every close pass, and fast-forward geological time to see whether that flexing is enough to keep a subsurface ocean liquid under the ice shell — or whether the whole interior freezes solid when the orbit is too close to circular.

⚙ Under the hood

Orbit an icy moon around a giant planet on an adjustable-eccentricity ellipse: watch it flex at periapsis, drive a live tidal-heating gauge, and fast-forward geological time to see a subsurface ocean freeze solid or stay liquid under the ice shell.

tidal heatingicy moonsubsurface oceanorbital eccentricityRheaEnceladusEuropaThree.js

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install

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