Neptune

About this page

Above is a GPU-accelerated Neptune visualization. The scene includes a physically-lit sphere with a subtle Fresnel-based atmospheric rim, realistic axial tilt, and a slow rotation scaled from Neptune’s real day length. A dim, inside-out sphere provides the starfield background.

What you’re seeing

Neptune rotates with a configurable time scale while light from a fixed “Sun” source creates visible phases. The faint blue glow around the edge is an atmospheric effect simulated in a shader, and the stars are part of a large inverted sphere surrounding the planet.

Tech notes

In WebGL2 mode, the visualization uses MeshStandardMaterial with ACES tone mapping, sRGB texture loading, and a custom shader hook for slight saturation/contrast adjustments. The atmospheric glow is rendered as a separate back-sided sphere with a Fresnel term, and the starfield uses a basic textured sphere with low brightness.

Compatibility

Works on all modern browsers supporting WebGL2. If WebGPU is enabled and available, the loader will attempt to run that version; otherwise, it falls back to WebGL2 automatically.

FAQ

Why is the atmosphere faint? The glow intensity is tuned to be subtle, matching Neptune’s appearance in long-exposure images without overpowering the planet’s details.

Is this physically exact? No — it’s a stylized real-time visualization designed for smooth performance and visual clarity, rather than a perfect simulation.

Credits

Based on real-time rendering techniques from modern planetary shaders, inspired by space visualization tools and astrophotography references.