Neil’s Space AtlasOBS · v1.0 · COSMOS
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LIVE·RA 16ʰ 49ᵐ 14ˢ·DEC −15° 22′ 39″
Field guide to the cosmos

The Universe,
Verified.

Ask any space question. Explore answers by depth, scale, and source.

Neil’s Space Atlas combines trusted space data, visual exploration, and AI explanations that adapt from beginner-friendly to research-grade.

◉ATLAS · QUERY
TRY ·
01 · Proof sandbox

See one answer
become three.

Move from simple explanations to research-grade detail without losing clarity — and without re-asking your question.

Q · 001RUNNING · DEEP

Why is Venus hotter than Mercury?

Depth control
LevelDeepConfidenceHighSources5Last verifiedJ2026.04

Venus is covered by a dense carbon dioxide atmosphere that traps infrared radiation through a runaway greenhouse effect. Even though Mercury orbits closer to the Sun, Venus retains far more heat because it has almost no nighttime cooling and its atmosphere is highly opaque to outgoing thermal radiation.

Source-backed · referenced from
NASA Solar System Exploration/ PrimaryJPL Planetary Data/ MissionPlanetary Science Reference/ Peer-reviewed
02 · Mini atlas

Explore by scale.

Move from moons and planets to stars, galaxies, and the cosmic web — each scale reframes the questions worth asking.

10³m
10⁴m
10⁹m
10²¹m
10²⁶m
SCALE · PLANETS · ORDER 10⁴ m

Planets

Typical size range: 10³ — 10⁵ km. These are the questions visitors ask most at this scale.

03 · Live observatory

Today in the cosmos.

A small set of things to look at right now — what we'd recommend if you only had five minutes with us.

EAGLE NEBULA · IR
★ APOD
NASA · APOD23 MAY 2026

The Pillars, Revisited

The Eagle Nebula’s star-forming columns seen anew through infrared eyes — a familiar landscape, re-photographed at a wavelength that pierces dust.

M16 · NGC 6611Live ready
TELEMETRY · SNAPSHOTLive data ready

The numbers right now

These channels are wired for live ingest. Exact values appear when the data layer is connected.

  • Confirmed exoplanets
    NASA Exoplanet Archive
    Live ready
  • Voyager 1 distance
    DSN telemetry
    Live ready
  • Mars range from Earth
    JPL Horizons
    Live ready
  • ISS altitude
    NORAD TLE
    Live ready
FEATURED · QUESTION

Could humans live on Europa?

Explore the ice shell, the subsurface ocean, the radiation environment around Jupiter, and why Europa is one of the most interesting worlds in the search for life.

Ice shellSubsurface oceanRadiationAstrobiology
04 · Curated curiosity

Start with a question.
Leave with a map of the universe.

Sorted by what you're trying to do, not by your age.

INTENT · 01

Understand

Build a clear mental model from first principles.

INTENT · 02

Compare

Place two objects side by side and see what differs.

INTENT · 03

Investigate

Follow the evidence on questions science is still answering.

05 · Trust architecture

Built for trust.

Beautiful explanations aren't enough. Serious space facts need sources, context, and an honest signal when the science is still evolving.

Citations are first-class — every claim has a footnote you can follow.
Uncertainty is shown, not hidden — open questions get labels.
Scientific authority and clarity coexist — at every depth.
01

Source-backed

Answers are designed to connect back to trusted sources — NASA, JPL, ESA, mission archives, and peer-reviewed research — so every claim has a footnote you can follow.

02

Scale-aware

The interface adapts from galaxy clusters down to spacecraft instruments, so each question is answered at the right resolution.

03

Level-adaptive

Move from a beginner-friendly explanation to research-grade detail without starting the question over.

04

Uncertainty-aware

When the science is still evolving, the answer says so — with the open questions, the leading hypotheses, and what would settle them.