Every stable system needs a dominant anchor — a star or black hole at or near the origin with
zero
initial velocity.
The anchor's mass M sets the gravitational scale for all subsequent orbits.
Recommended: M_anchor ≥ 100 M☉
Click the canvas at distance R from the anchor. The orbital period scales as
T ∝ R^{3/2}
Larger R → longer, more stable orbits. Too close → Roche limit / tidal disruption risk.
Drag perpendicular to the radial direction to impart a circular orbit. The exact velocity for a stable circular orbit is:
v_circ = √(G·M / R)In this engine: G = 3.5 (adjustable), so for M=300 at R=150:
v ≈ √(3.5 × 300 / 150) ≈ 2.65
Drag length maps to velocity — aim for ~175 units of drag for this example.
When N>2, each planet slightly perturbs the others. Tips:
• Space planets at 3:4:5 orbital resonances for long-term stability.
• Keep planet masses < 1% of anchor mass.
• Avoid coplanar retrograde orbits — they experience strong Kozai-Lidov perturbations.
• Use Binary Tracking camera to monitor the tightest pair.