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What's happening out there?

What you're watching

A live physics simulation. Every star has mass, velocity, and depth. Nothing is scripted — what you see is the result of real gravitational mechanics running continuously.

The stars

Colour indicates depth and temperature. Blue-white stars are close and hot. Orange and red stars are further away and cooler. Size reflects mass. They drift slowly under mutual gravity — occasionally one will bend another's path as they pass nearby.

Orbital capture

When a smaller star drifts close and slow enough to a larger one, gravity binds them. The smaller star enters orbit — starting at the distance of capture and gradually settling into a stable ring. Up to four stars can orbit a single host.

Things to watch for

  • A star slowly drawing others into orbit around it
  • A comet crossing the scene — watch what happens if a black hole is nearby
  • A cluster of stars collapsing into a black hole, pulling everything within range
  • A star that has collected four orbiters — it won't stay stable forever
  • Stars of different colours passing through each other — different depth planes, no interaction
  • If you leave it long enough — something happens to the whole universe

The black hole

Forms spontaneously or from a dense cluster. Pulls only stars of a similar depth — same colour range, same gravitational plane. Eventually evaporates in a burst of new particles. The comet has no depth restriction — any black hole will bend its path.

Hidden things

There are three hidden events in this simulation. You may have already witnessed one without knowing it. Pay attention to the quieter stars.

There is also one event that takes a very long time. When the universe grows old and still, watch the centre of the screen. The page knows what to do.

The science

Gravity here follows the real inverse-square law. Stars on different Z-depth planes move at different apparent speeds — genuine parallax. Orbital capture uses real escape velocity mechanics: fast stars deflect, slow ones get bound. A comet passing near a black hole undergoes a real gravitational slingshot.