The sky on any date

Pick a date from 1800 to 2050 to see where Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn really were, computed from NASA JPL’s orbital elements. Then hear it: in 1619 Kepler gave each planet a voice, and the Orrery’s six rings are his six planets.

Or try one of these

• July 14, 2020: all six within 31° of one another, the tightest since 1800
• November 4, 2020: Jupiter catches up with Saturn, as it does every 20 years

The date stays in the page’s address. Nothing is stored, and sharing it is up to you. Positions from NASA JPL’s Keplerian elements (E. M. Standish).