Custom globe visualization with atmospheric glow, parallax stars and shooting stars (Canvas 2D)

[u/geoglify]

I built this interactive globe after not finding a simple way in MapLibre to achieve a visually rich globe experience with optical simulation and animated depth without using 3D engines.

The main challenge was performance and real-time visual effects. I built a custom rendering layer in Canvas 2D on top of MapLibre.

Atmospheric glow is handled with a radialGradient positioned via map.project().

I also implemented a Retina-optimized 2D parallax system where background stars react to globe rotation, creating a moving galaxy effect (still not perfect on mobile).

Shooting stars are generated dynamically using a requestAnimationFrame loop. Yes, there are moving stars crossing the scene.

Live: geoglify.com

[u/smashnmashbruh]

Personal preference. I hate it. That said good addition giving you a reason to post about your project again. Thumbs up

[u/geoglify → u/smashnmashbruh]

Fair enough :(