100,000 Stars

An interactive 3D visualization of the stellar neighborhood, including over 100,000 nearby stars.

100,000 Stars is a Chrome Experiment that uses real data derived from multiple star catalogs to plot the position of 119,617 nearby stars. Users may zoom from inside the solar system out to the Milky Way galaxy. Eighty-seven stars are clickable, providing detailed information about each star, and an automated tour provides a guided overview of the entire visualization. The site uses several advanced HTML5 features that highlight the capabilities of the Google Chrome browser, including WebGL, CSS3D, and Web Audio. The star data comes from several sources, including the Gliese/Jahreiß Catalog, the Yale Bright Star Catalog, and the ESA's Hipparcos Catalog. Music was provided by Sam Hulick, who video game fans may recognize as a composer for the popular space adventure series, Mass Effect. To learn more about how the project was made, please see this technical case study: http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/casestudies/100000stars/