Browser-based interactive 3D Three-Body problem simulator
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Features include: - Several preset periodic orbits: the classic Figure-8, plus newly discovered 3D solutions from Li and Liao's recent database of 10,000+ orbits (https://arxiv.org/html/2508.08568v1) - Full 3D camera controls (rotate/pan/zoom) with body-following mode - Force and velocity vector visualization - Timeline scrubbing to explore the full orbital period The 3D presets are particularly interesting. Try "O₂(1.2)" or "Piano O₆(0.6)" from the Load Presets menu to see configurations where bodies weave in and out of the orbital plane. Most browser simulators I've seen have been 2D.Built with Three.js. Open to suggestions for additional presets or features!
HN · launched Nov 18, 2025 · 249 upvotes (top 3%) · 19 views
Niche: interactive 3d web simulations · 157 launches, 9 in the last 7 days ▼ -47% · Explore this niche →
Category and tags
- Education
- Dev tools
- B2C
- Not AI
- Hobby / open-source project
Visit website ↗ Source listing ↗
More like this: all 157 launches in interactive 3d web simulations →
Could you build this?
Yes The 3D Three-Body problem simulator runs entirely in the browser using Three.js or WebGL and standard Runge-Kutta numerical integration, which AI coding assistants handle exceptionally well.
Discussion
20 comments analyzed.
Competitors mentioned: Google Search with Gemini 3 Pro (interactive three body problem demo), matplotlib extension for anaglyphs (mpl_stereo), three.js (3D rendering library)
Concerns raised: Numerical stability and precision issues with 3D rendering, Orbital colors interfere with anaglyphic 3D effect, Performance constraints with large N-body simulations, Observable universe vs infinite universe cosmological ambiguity, Multi-body orbital systems lack closed-form solutions
Feature requests: Add third-dimension data to orbits for proper anaglyphic 3D visualization, Implement Barnes-Hut or Fast Multipole Method for larger N-body systems, Sharper orbit rendering in anaglyphic mode, Full-color anaglyphs support, More stable preset configurations for longer simulations
Competitors
Other products that read as similar to this one : 260 launches clear the similarity bar, closest 8 shown.
Attention rank: #11 of 261 (itself plus its competitors, highest first, normalized so YC and Product Hunt are compared fairly).
Launched 20 days after the earliest competitor.
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- WITHIN · ph · 2026-10-19 · 1 upvotes · similarity 0.45
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