Art for Science's Sake

Art can help explain complex science ideas. But on the Cassini mission, we've got to admit we do it for fun, at least sometimes.

On the website, our goal is to reach a general audience, one with maybe just a burgeoning appreciation of the science that is being carried out. We would also like to grab a child's imagination by putting Saturn in a snow globe, or by showing a gingerbread house on a snowy Enceladus, or by transforming the planet into a fireworks show.

Oddly enough, it can be argued that some of the "authentic" images - those not meant to be artistic - also take a bit of art to produce. The "real" color images are produced by "blending" at least three different filtered images, for example. (See the Frequently Ask Question "Why are so few of the Cassini pictures in color?") Those, by the way, don't qualify for this collection.

Here we celebrate some of the art behind the Cassini Mission. Art for Science's Sake is an appreciation of an historic mission and iconic planet, and it makes room to include a sense of humor.