Astrophyzix Educator Series · Planetary Science
Planetary Interior Explorer Console V1.0
Explore the hidden layers of every planet — from crust to core — in interactive 3D. Drag to orbit, tap to inspect each layer.
Designed for learners aged 11–17, this free educational module brings planetary science to life for schools, colleges, and universities.
Free licensing for educational bodies, for access, contact Info@astrophyzix.org
Research notes available to download in PDF format at Astrophyzix.academia.edu
Free licensing for educational bodies, for access, contact Info@astrophyzix.org
Research notes available to download in PDF format at Astrophyzix.academia.edu
Internal Layers
Methodology & Sources
Each planet is rendered as a set of nested spheres, one per interior layer, with a 90 degree wedge removed by WebGL clipping planes so the internal structure is exposed. Layer radii are drawn proportionally to published models; cores are given emissive glow to indicate high temperature. The visualisation is schematic and not to scale between planets.
Layer boundaries, compositions, temperatures and physical states are drawn from established planetary-science sources, including:
- Earth — Preliminary Reference Earth Model (Dziewonski & Anderson, 1981).
- Mercury — NASA MESSENGER gravity and geochemistry.
- Mars — NASA InSight seismology (Stahler et al., 2021; revised core and basal-mantle results).
- Venus — interior is model-based; core state is not yet confirmed by direct measurement.
- Jupiter / Saturn — NASA Juno gravity data and Cassini ring seismology indicate diffuse ("fuzzy") cores rather than sharp boundaries.
- Uranus / Neptune — interior layering is inferred from bulk density and atmospheric data; the icy mantle is a hot, dense supercritical fluid rather than solid ice.
Values marked uncertain (notably Venus's core and the giant planets' cores) reflect genuine open questions in current research. Temperatures and radii are approximate and model-dependent.