Solar System On Google Maps
Netizens typically use Google Maps to scout potential vacation spots. Although Olympus Mons, a volcano on Mars, might not be ideal let alone accessible for probably a couple more years, it should not stop anyone from exploring the region through the system.
Google has been working on expanding Maps' capabilities. Just a few months ago, the team was able to make the International Space Station available for exploration in Google Street View. And with the help of NASA and ESA spacecraft, they were able to make every major concrete form in the solar system, that is, from planet Mercury to Pluto, accessible from the comfort of one's home.
Other notable attractions that netizens should not miss include the icy moons of Enceladus and Europa, the best bet for finding alien life, the methane lakes of Titan, the only place in the inner solar system where a spacecraft managed to land, the dwarf planet named Ceres, where the Dawn space probe has been orbiting since March 2015, and one of Saturn's moon's Mimas, which has a massive crater that is a third of the moon's own diameter.
A spacecraft called Cassini has launched from Cape Canaveral 20 years ago. Its task was to uncover the secrets of Saturn and its moon. Throughout its mission, the probe was able to send back nearly half a million images back to Earth. Scientists can use that data to recreate the distant worlds in exceptional detail.
In a statement, Google acknowledged the work of astronomical artist Bjorn Jonsson, who assembled the planetary maps of Europa, Ganymede, Rhea, and Minas.
As of now, Google offers a total of 12 new worlds, all waiting to be explored.
To blast off into space, netizens simply have to zoom out from Earth until they reach space. A menu on the left side of the monitor should list the celestial bodies that can be looked into.
