Interactive space websites

You do not need a telescope to explore the universe, just a browser. The interactive space websites in this category put planets, stars, storms and sunspots a click away, along with a handful of lab-bench toys for the science itself.

For your own sky, Stellarium Web is a free planetarium that shows the stars from any place and date. NASA's Eyes lets you fly through the solar system and follow spacecraft in 3D. Where the ISS at? shows the station's position in real time, which circles the planet roughly every 90 minutes. To feel small, try The Scale of the Universe, which zooms from the tiniest particles to the whole universe, or Space Elevator, which scrolls you up through the atmosphere and into space.

Science here is not only about the sky. OneZoom lets you zoom through the tree of life, Ptable is a periodic table that is a pleasure to use, and PhET offers free simulations for physics, chemistry and math.

Many entries are calm and re-openable, such as Astronomy Picture of the Day, which publishes a new image with an expert caption daily. Others, like Asteroid Launcher, are more morbidly fun.

Continue with the weird educational list, or browse Webcams & Live for real streams from space and nature. When in doubt, the button will pick a planet.