Have you ever wondered what the control panel for the Earth would look like if our planet was a spacecraft? Eleanor Lutz did, and this is what she came up with.

Lutz, a designer with a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology, creates science-based infographics. She’s previously done some amazing work showing the mechanics of wings flapping and how different animals breathe. This month it’s the control panel of spaceship Earth.

Click to enlarge!

The inspiration for this infographic comes somewhat indirectly though Lutz’s dislike of tax season; NASA is among her favorite tax-funded programs in America. She describes it as “a mix between sci-fi and pinball,” flashing information that is completely scientifically accurate. 

Most of the information is about the Earth-Moon system. It shows the Earth’s tilt, gravity, diameter, gas levels, orbital velocity, and rotation. The planet’s orbit around the Sun is also shown in two moving graphics. One shows its distance from the Sun on a sine wave while the other shows the Earth traveling around an ellipse, the months flashing by to show the progression of the seasons. 

There’s also a lot of information on the Moon. Our satellite’s gravity is displayed, as well as its surface area, volume, density, and current phase. It also shows how far the Moon is from the Earth and a rotating image to show its current phase.

And perhaps the most striking part is the visualization of the stars rotating as seen from the Earth, specifically from Seattle. It’s an incredible perspective on what we look up and see as unmoving stars.

The full, mesmerizing infographic is well worth checking out on Lutz’s website.

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IMAGE: Eleanor Lutz