Mandelbrot Fractal Explorer: Zoom, Save
This Mandelbrot fractal explorer lets you dive into one of the most famous shapes in mathematics right in your browser. Click anywhere to zoom in, drag to move around, or use the mouse wheel to zoom at the pointer. Switch to Julia sets, choose a colour palette, raise the iteration count for finer detail and save the current view as a PNG image. The picture is calculated on your own device with 64-bit numbers, so you can zoom about ten trillion times before the precision runs out.
Mandelbrot Fractal Explorer
Zoom into the Mandelbrot set and Julia sets with click, drag and wheel. Pick palettes and iterations, then save a PNG.
How to use the Mandelbrot Fractal Explorer
- Click the picture to zoom in on that point. Shift-click zooms out.
- Drag to move around or use the wheel to zoom at the pointer.
- Raise Iterations when you zoom deep and the detail turns to blobs.
- Pick a palette, then press Download PNG to save the view.
Features
- Mandelbrot set and Julia sets
- Click, drag and wheel navigation
- Up to 3000 iterations
- 5 colour palettes with smooth shading
- Julia presets and custom constants
- PNG download of the current view
Frequently asked questions
What is the Mandelbrot set?
It is the set of complex numbers c for which the sequence z = z² + c, starting at z = 0, never grows without limit. Points inside are drawn black. Points outside are coloured by how fast the sequence escapes.
What are the iterations for?
Each pixel is tested up to that many steps. More iterations show finer detail near the edge of the set, especially when you zoom in deep, but they take longer to draw.
How is a Julia set different?
A Julia set uses the same formula but fixes c and varies the starting point z. Every point c of the Mandelbrot set gives a different Julia set, and the presets show some well known ones.
How far can I zoom?
About ten trillion times. After that, 64-bit numbers cannot tell neighbouring pixels apart and the explorer stops and tells you so.
Why does a deep zoom draw slowly?
Deep views need many iterations per pixel and the work is done on your device. Use a lower iteration count while exploring and raise it for the final picture.