Triple Star System Simulation

About this simulation

Triple systems are wild: each star traces its own loop around a shared center of mass. This visualization staggers all three orbits with shifting radii and phases so you can watch them weave around the barycenter. A single planet remains bound to the primary star, carrying its dashed orbital path wherever the host goes.

Each sun carries its own point light and emissive glow, so the planet’s shading shifts as the stars swing by. A faint barycentric disc highlights the central reference point, and dashed rings show the distinct orbital radii for every body.

What to look for

Track how the planet’s ellipse moves with the primary star—pause when another sun passes nearby to imagine dramatic sky shows. Because each star uses a different orbital period and phase offset, conjunctions happen frequently; the paused state helps you study those alignments.

You can tweak props to exaggerate the orbit radii, change colors, or even bind the planet to a different host star to explore other triple-star configurations.