diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f608b46..e43728b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME}
     src/icosphere.cpp
     src/gfx.cpp
     src/orbit.cpp
+    src/widget.cpp
 )
 
 if(WIN32)
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index da9e8ec..5e9d478 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include "gfx.hpp"
 #include "icosphere.hpp"
 #include "orbit.hpp"
+#include "widget.hpp"
 
 int main()
 {
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@ int main()
     Icosphere orbiter(0.07, 2, litProgram);
     Orbit orbit(100);
 
+    Widget widget(orbit, unlitProgram);
+
     // Main loop
     while (!glfwWindowShouldClose(window))
     {
@@ -77,6 +80,7 @@ int main()
         glUseProgram(unlitProgram);
         updateModelViewProjectionMatrix(unlitProgram, time);
         orbit.render();
+        widget.render();
 
         glfwSwapBuffers(window);
         glfwPollEvents();
diff --git a/src/orbit.cpp b/src/orbit.cpp
index db4dff9..f820af3 100644
--- a/src/orbit.cpp
+++ b/src/orbit.cpp
@@ -65,6 +65,14 @@ glm::vec3 Orbit::getPosition(const float meanAnomaly)
         cartesian[astro::zPositionIndex]);
 }
 
+glm::vec3 Orbit::getTangent(const float meanAnomaly)
+{
+    float epsilon = 0.01;
+    glm::vec3 ahead = getPosition(meanAnomaly + epsilon);
+    glm::vec3 behind = getPosition(meanAnomaly - epsilon);
+    return glm::normalize(ahead - behind);
+}
+
 void Orbit::render()
 {
     glBindVertexArray(_vao);
diff --git a/src/orbit.hpp b/src/orbit.hpp
index ddebd52..e917d89 100644
--- a/src/orbit.hpp
+++ b/src/orbit.hpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ public:
     void render();
 
     glm::vec3 getPosition(const float meanAnomaly);
+    glm::vec3 getTangent(const float meanAnomaly);
 
     ~Orbit(); 
 private:
diff --git a/src/widget.cpp b/src/widget.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92f9d31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/widget.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#include "widget.hpp"
+#include "gfx.hpp"
+#include <glm/gtc/matrix_transform.hpp>
+#include <GLFW/glfw3.h>
+
+Widget::Widget(Orbit& orbit, GLuint shaderProgram) :
+    _orbit(orbit),
+    _shaderProgram(shaderProgram)
+{
+    const float lineLength = 0.1;
+    for (int i = 0; i < 3*6; i++)
+    {
+        _vertices[i] *= _lineLength;
+    }
+
+    glGenVertexArrays(1, &_vao);
+    glGenBuffers(1, &_vbo);
+
+    glBindVertexArray(_vao);
+    glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, _vbo);
+    size_t v3Size = 3 * sizeof(float);
+    size_t lineSize = 2 * sizeof(float);
+    size_t vboBufferSize = v3Size * lineSize * 3;
+    glBufferData(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, vboBufferSize, &_vertices[0], GL_STATIC_DRAW);
+
+    glEnableVertexAttribArray(0);
+    glVertexAttribPointer(0, 3, GL_FLOAT, GL_FALSE, 3 * sizeof(float), (void*)0);
+
+    glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, 0);
+    glBindVertexArray(0);
+}
+
+void Widget::render()
+{
+    updateModelMatrix();
+
+    glBindVertexArray(_vao);
+    glBindBuffer(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, _vbo);
+    glDrawArrays(GL_LINES, 0, 6);
+}
+
+void Widget::updateModelMatrix()
+{
+    float p = glfwGetTime();
+
+    _position = _orbit.getPosition(p);
+
+    // get the tangent of the orbital ellipse
+    glm::vec3 tan = _orbit.getTangent(p);
+    // we want to point along the orbit
+    glm::vec3 target = _position + tan;
+    // 'up' is just the normalized position vector because the orbit is centred at the origin
+    glm::vec3 up = glm::normalize(_position);
+    // easy peasy lookAt matrix
+    glm::mat4 look = glm::lookAt(_position, target, up);
+
+    // invert the lookat matrix because it's meant for cameras, cameras work backwards and
+    // we are not a camera
+    glm::mat4 model = glm::inverse(look);
+
+    GLint modelLocation = getShaderUniformLocation(_shaderProgram, "_Model");
+    glUniformMatrix4fv(modelLocation, 1, GL_FALSE, &model[0][0]);
+}
+
+Widget::~Widget()
+{
+    glDeleteVertexArrays(1, &_vao);
+    glDeleteBuffers(1, &_vbo);
+}
diff --git a/src/widget.hpp b/src/widget.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b203ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/widget.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "orbit.hpp"
+#include <glm/glm.hpp>
+
+class Widget
+{
+public:
+    // A widget is renderer at a point on the orbit.
+    // It consists of 3 orthagonally intersecting lines.
+
+    Widget(Orbit& orbit, GLuint shaderProgram);
+    void render();
+
+    void setPosition(glm::vec3 position);
+    ~Widget();
+private:
+    Orbit& _orbit;
+    glm::vec3 _position;
+
+    GLuint _vao;
+    GLuint _vbo;
+    GLuint _shaderProgram;
+
+    void updateModelMatrix();
+
+    float _lineLength = 0.2;
+    float _vertices[3*6] =
+    {
+        -1, 0, 0,
+         1, 0, 0,
+         0, 1, 0,
+         0,-1, 0,
+         0, 0, 1,
+         0, 0,-1
+    };
+};