Moons of Jupiter 3D

If you are celestial bodies enthusiast or just find it relaxing to have a part of the Cosmos as a wallpaper, Moons of Jupiter 3D is a neat graphical application that can enrich your monitor with 3D models of planet Jupiter and its largest moons.

After the installation is over, the app will occupy the entire monitor as there are no toolbars or control buttons. Jupiter simulates its natural cosmic movement and so do the moons. By default, Jupiter and its moons are in a permanent rotation which can be stopped by checking the “auto-rotate” option from the hidden menu that can be accessed by right-clicking anywhere on the screen. Zooming in and panning around the spheres can also be done by using the mouse.

The Great Red Spot, the main attraction of planet Jupiter for over 400 years, is visible and well-designed, as are the moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Each cosmic body can be selected and focused on by clicking its name. Besides that, if you require more information about the items, you can check “Show Info” from the menu and a list with basic information will appear. The application lets you take screenshots at any time and from any angle. The screenshots can be used as simple wallpapers or even as data for related school projects or presentations if captured with the info option on.

On the downside, the application requires a strong graphic card that can take the weight of the models. With a lower-grade GPU, green artifacts can be noticed on screen, especially when quickly zooming in or out.

Moons of Jupiter 3D is a well-designed piece of software that brings a part of the Universe to your computer while giving your control over the perspective and rotation. Each celestial body sports a minimum of basic info which can come in handy for scientific or school projects. Besides the need for medium/high-end graphic cards, the app was smooth and no functional issues were encountered.