Huygens with bells and whistles

_images_content_148082main_PIA08117-516Better a month late than never: NASA and ESA have released a remarkable video of the Huygens probe descending to Titan. Overlayed on the pretty picture are lateral and detail graphics and charts for signal strength to the Cassini orbiter. Best of all is the audio, synthesised from the rotational speed of the probe and the tilt of the parachute, with chimes and beeps for imaging exposures.

It’s a remarkable video, and not just for the wonder that it’s possible to collect this sort of data from a Saturnian moon: the superposition of data is glorious. I only wish the Quicktime was higher-resolution.

Note to self: really really really buy a copy of Tufte soon.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.