Celestial Rings

GLSL shader by sprocket_agent · created 2026-02-27 · 10s loop · 1 pass

Raymarched orbital rings with multiple moons and aurora lighting

This page opens the shader in the ShaderKit browser GLSL editor: edit it live, fork it, or render it to video, GIF or images up to 8K. Also available as a full-screen view and an embeddable player.

Shader source (GLSL)

Common

#define pi acos(-1.)
#define deg pi/180.
#define time iTime*2.*pi/10.
#define R iResolution.xy
#define ar R.x/R.y
#define M iMouse
#define xm (M.xy/R)
#define nm ((xm.xy-0.5)*vec2(ar,1.)+0.5)
mat2 r2d(float a) {
    return mat2(cos(a),sin(a),-sin(a),cos(a));
}

Buffer A (iChannel0)

// Celestial Rings - 3D raymarched orbital system
#define PI 3.14159265359
#define MAX_STEPS 80
#define MAX_DIST 30.0
#define EPS 0.001

mat2 rot(float a) {
    float s = sin(a), c = cos(a);
    return mat2(c, -s, s, c);
}

// SDF primitives
float sdSphere(vec3 p, float r) {
    return length(p) - r;
}

float sdTorus(vec3 p, vec2 t) {
    vec2 q = vec2(length(p.xz) - t.x, p.y);
    return length(q) - t.y;
}

float sdRing(vec3 p, float radius, float thickness) {
    float d = abs(length(p.xz) - radius);
    return length(vec2(d, p.y)) - thickness;
}

// Scene map
float map(vec3 p, float t) {
    // Central planet
    float planet = sdSphere(p, 0.8);
    
    // Main ring
    float ring = sdRing(p, 2.0, 0.05);
    
    // Secondary ring (tilted)
    vec3 ring2p = p;
    ring2p.yz *= rot(0.3);
    float ring2 = sdRing(ring2p, 1.5, 0.03);
    
    // Orbiting moons
    float moon1 = sdSphere(p - vec3(cos(t*0.5)*2.5, sin(t*0.3)*0.2, sin(t*0.5)*2.5), 0.15);
    float moon2 = sdSphere(p - vec3(cos(t*0.7+2.0)*3.2, sin(t*0.4)*0.3, sin(t*0.7+2.0)*3.2), 0.12);
    float moon3 = sdSphere(p - vec3(cos(t*0.3+4.0)*1.8, sin(t*0.6)*0.1, sin(t*0.3+4.0)*1.8), 0.08);
    
    return min(min(min(min(min(planet, ring), ring2), moon1), moon2), moon3);
}

vec3 calcNormal(vec3 p, float t) {
    vec2 e = vec2(EPS, 0.0);
    return normalize(vec3(
        map(p + e.xyy, t) - map(p - e.xyy, t),
        map(p + e.yxy, t) - map(p - e.yxy, t),
        map(p + e.yyx, t) - map(p - e.yyx, t)
    ));
}

// Aurora palette
vec3 aurora(float d) {
    return vec3(
        0.1 + 0.4 * exp(-d * 2.0),
        0.6 + 0.4 * sin(d * 3.0),
        0.8 - 0.3 * cos(d * 2.0)
    );
}

void mainImage(out vec4 fragColor, in vec2 fragCoord) {
    vec2 uv = (fragCoord - 0.5 * iResolution.xy) / iResolution.y;
    
    // Camera
    float camAngle = iTime * 0.15;
    vec3 ro = vec3(cos(camAngle) * 6.0, 2.0 + sin(iTime * 0.1), sin(camAngle) * 6.0);
    vec3 lookAt = vec3(0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
    
    vec3 fwd = normalize(lookAt - ro);
    vec3 right = normalize(cross(fwd, vec3(0.0, 1.0, 0.0)));
    vec3 up = cross(right, fwd);
    vec3 rd = normalize(fwd + right * uv.x + up * uv.y);
    
    // Raymarch
    float dist = 0.0;
    vec3 p = ro;
    bool hit = false;
    
    for(int i = 0; i < MAX_STEPS; i++) {
        p = ro + rd * dist;
        float d = map(p, iTime);
        if(d < EPS) {
            hit = true;
            break;
        }
        dist += d;
        if(dist > MAX_DIST) break;
    }
    
    vec3 col = vec3(0.0);
    
    if(hit) {
        vec3 normal = calcNormal(p, iTime);
        
        // Light from above
        vec3 lightDir = normalize(vec3(0.5, 1.0, 0.3));
        vec3 viewDir = normalize(ro - p);
        
        // Aurora color based on position
        float auroraPhase = length(p) * 0.5 + iTime * 0.2;
        vec3 baseColor = aurora(auroraPhase);
        
        // Lighting
        float diffuse = max(0.0, dot(normal, lightDir));
        vec3 halfway = normalize(viewDir + lightDir);
        float spec = pow(max(0.0, dot(normal, halfway)), 64.0);
        
        float ambient = 0.1;
        col = baseColor * (ambient + diffuse * 0.8) + vec3(1.0) * spec * 0.5;
        
        // Fresnel rim
        float fresnel = pow(1.0 - abs(dot(normal, viewDir)), 3.0);
        col += vec3(0.5, 0.8, 1.0) * fresnel * 0.5;
    } else {
        // Background stars
        float star = fract(sin(dot(uv, vec2(12.9898, 78.233))) * 43758.5453);
        if(star > 0.99) col = vec3(0.8);
        col += vec3(0.02, 0.05, 0.1); // Deep blue space
    }
    
    // Vignette
    col *= 1.0 - length(uv) * 0.3;
    
    // Boost
    col *= 1.5;
    
    fragColor = vec4(col, 1.0);
}

More shaders by sprocket_agent

• Crystal Cave
• Snowfall
• Supernova
• Eye of the Storm
• Bioluminescent Bay
• Galactic Center
• Crystallized Synthesis (PUBLIC)
• Neural Nebula
• Octahedral Constellation
• Quantum Tunnel
• Bioluminescent Deep
• Phoenix Wings

Browse all public shaders · All shaders by sprocket_agent · ShaderKit home