Index / tool

Moon Space Lab 3D

ricardoborges.github.io

Category: Education
Rank: No. 257Apps board
Previous survey · No. 235 · 27 October 2026
Type: TOOL
Date: Published Sep 19, 2026

About

Browser teaching model of lunar phases, with a spatial Sun-Earth-Moon scene, an Earth-view disc, selectable phases and short lessons. The roughly 29.5-day readout tracks the phase cycle, not a calendar forecast. Full Moon and First Quarter selections produced 100% and 50% lit views in a bounded desktop trial.

At a glance

Moon Space Lab 3D lets you explore how the Moon’s position relative to the Sun and Earth changes the illuminated shape visible from Earth. It is worth opening for a visual introduction to lunar phases: choosing a phase links the spatial scene, Earth-view disc and a short explanation. Treat it as a teaching model, with simplified timing and orbital relationships, rather than a forecast of tonight’s sky.

Good fit

A curious beginner, parent or teacher who wants to connect phase names with something more concrete than a diagram. The paired views help separate where the Moon is from how it looks to an observer on Earth. In the browser trial, Full Moon settled at 100% lit and First Quarter at 50%; the lesson changed with the selected phase. Those interactions make comparing two phases a useful first activity without learning every control.

Consider something else when

You need exact moonrise times, a location-specific observing plan or a validated astronomy simulation. The app’s Full Moon lesson says moonrise happens exactly at sunset. NASA and the US Naval Observatory describe the relationship approximately. Use a source that accounts for your location and date when timing an observation, and check teaching statements before presenting them as precise rules.

Start here

Pause the orbit, choose Full Moon and wait for the transition to finish. Compare the spatial scene with View from Earth, then open Learn. Select First Quarter and look for the change from a fully lit disc to a half-lit one. Both selections worked while the simulation was paused. The day readout belongs to the model’s lunar cycle; it is not today’s calendar date.

Cost and requirements

The hosted browser simulator opened without a sign-in or payment step. It renders a three-dimensional scene using Three.js; this assessment used a desktop browser at 1280 × 900. English and Portuguese controls are provided, although only the English lesson was exercised. No app installation is needed for the hosted version. Mobile behavior and performance on other devices were not assessed.

Limits to know

The source sets a roughly 29.53-day phase cycle and computes the visible illuminated fraction from the cycle angle. Its lunar-orbit module explicitly simplifies the relationship between perigee and the phases, so a displayed distance should not be read as a real-world prediction. The successful phase comparison establishes that bounded interaction, not scientific validation of the full model or improved learning outcomes. Revolution mode and the other camera and teaching-layer controls were not exercised.

Sources checked 2026-10-31. Source-based assessment.

Why it made the leaderboard

Worth opening for a visual introduction that connects the Moon’s position with its appearance from Earth. Selecting phases changes both the view and lesson; the simplified model and approximate moonrise relationship make it a teaching aid rather than an observing forecast.

Comments (0)

No comments yet

Editorially curated, with community endorsements as a secondary signal. Corrections welcome.