How to Use the Sputnik Planitia 3D Explorer - Step by Step
Open the Sputnik Planitia 3D Explorer, drag or play the convective-cycle slider, then read the facts panel for the real published cell dimensions and overturn timescale.
Drag or play the convective-cycle slider
Drag the convective-cycle slider (0 to 100%) to jump straight to any point in the overturn, or press "Play / Pause Cycle" to auto-advance through a full lap. Dragging the slider pauses auto-play.
Watch cells rise and sink
As the cycle position advances, each hexagonal cell's center rises and brightens, then falls back and darkens at its edges - the bright centers are fresh nitrogen ice pushing up, the darker edges are where older ice sinks back down into the narrow troughs.
Highlight the troughs
Press "Highlight troughs" to brighten the dark boundary lines between cells so the trough network stands out clearly against the cell interiors.
Read the facts panel
The facts panel shows the current cycle position and its equivalent elapsed years out of the real, published ~500,000-year overturn timescale, plus the real cell width, surface temperature, layer thickness, and creep rate.
Drag to orbit and use fullscreen
Drag to orbit the camera, scroll or pinch to zoom, and use the Fullscreen button to expand the whole wrapper for a clearer view of the tiled patch.
Next: see when to use this explorer or how it compares to a New Horizons mission page.
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