Michael Carroll's image of the B-ring gives me a new perspective on the dynamics of Saturn's ring system. And that is the marvelous advantage of space art. It illuminates perspectives, physical interactions and atmospheres that we know exist but that we can not image directly or imagine easily.
The Cassini-Huygens missions have provided us with an unparalleled wealth of the seen and the unseen -- startling images, penetrating radar, real particle collection, invisible magnetic fields, and atmospheric sensing. Each of these require scientific and technical interpretation to make sense to us. Space art is another kind of interpretation that can combine this information in ways that the separate instruments can not. Space art provides us with an instantaneous view of both what we can see and what we have learned.
A good source for space art is www.novapix.net/us. That site has a myriad of beautiful and intriguing space art that will give your imagination a thorough workout. This site has works by Michael Carroll, Don Dixon and many others.
I feel so fortunate living in the era of space exploration. The Cassini-Hugens missions have been a particular favourite of mine. They have given me so much -- fantastic images and inspiring explanations of how dynamic and alive our solar system really is.
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