01
Mass changes geometry
In general relativity, gravity is described as curvature of spacetime. The grid is a visual guide for that geometry.
SPACETIME LAB
INTERACTIVE SCIENCE PROJECT
Gravity bends space.
This project lets you see it.
Instead of showing gravity as a hole in a flat sheet, the simulation uses one transparent 3D grid. Sagittarius A*, the Sun and every planet deform that same continuous space according to their mass.
1continuous grid
3Dspatial deformation
10+gravitating bodies
☉
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One space. Several masses. Different curvature.
UNDERSTAND IN 30 SECONDS
What is the simulation showing?
02
More mass, more curvature
Earth bends the grid a little, Jupiter more, the Sun much more, and Sagittarius A* dominates the galactic scale.
03
Objects follow curved paths
Planets are not pulled by an invisible rope. They move through curved spacetime, which appears to us as an orbit.
The grid is a teaching visualization, not a literal material in space. Distances and deformation amplitudes are stylized so the effect remains visible on screen.
THE SAME RULE AT DIFFERENT SCALES
A simple mass hierarchy
The bars are illustrative, not to scale. They show the visual logic used by the project.
Sagittarius A*
extreme
Sun
strong
Jupiter
clear
Earth
subtle
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
How the project evolved
The visual model was refined step by step to make the gravity easier to read without turning the scene into a forest of lines.
First local wells
Readable around individual planets, but the result looked like several separate spaces stacked together.
A true volume grid
The flat-sheet idea was replaced by a 3D lattice. Better scientifically, but initially far too dense.
Removing visual noise
Extra markers and colored traces made the scene harder to understand, so they were progressively removed.
One continuous field
The current direction: one global grid, all masses contributing to the same deformation field, plus smoother camera navigation.
WHAT CHANGED
Improvements made along the way
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Flat “rubber-sheet” representation removed.
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Transparent grid extended through the 3D volume.
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Local mini-grids replaced by one continuous deformation field.
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Sun, Jupiter, Saturn, Earth and smaller planets contribute with different visual strength.
✓
Camera can smoothly migrate between the Sun, Earth, Sagittarius A* and other bodies.
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Interface supports English, German and French.
READY TO EXPLORE?
Move through the system yourself.
Choose a center, zoom in, rotate the camera and compare how the same grid reacts around different masses.