The folks behind the Cassini-Huygens mission at NASA have produced a cool little Web toolthat allows viewers to take a back-seat trip along with the probe as it explores Saturn's environs.
It's divided into three sections. The first is a 3D animation showing where the probe is, and what it's doing, over a 24-hour period. Viewers can click on the scene and change the camera angle, a bit like a video game, so they can look over Cassini's shoulder in any direction.
A second window shows the probe's full 3.5-year mission to date, similarly displaying the probe's position and activities as it circles the planet and investigates the moons. Again, viewers can play with different camera angles to watch the passing moons and planets.
A third portion is a primer on seven of the planet's major moons, with interactive pictures and facts about each.
It's a great resource for kids (or spaceloving adults) to get a sense for exactly what's happening with the probe. In my mind, nothing can beat the simple still photos that are coming back routinely (the latest gallery is here, and they're as beautiful as ever). But the interactivity makes a great complement to the photos.
Cassini at Saturn Interactive Explorer (CASSIE) [NASA/JPL]
(Image: Screen shot from the CASSIE tool. Credit: NASA/JPL)
