Bitcoin mining is a fundamental process that powers the entire Bitcoin network. At its core, it serves two critical functions: it introduces new bitcoins into circulation in a decentralized way, and it secures and verifies every transaction on the blockchain, preventing fraud and double-spending. For many, the concept seems complex, but viewing it as the network's accounting and security engine can simplify understanding.

Think of the blockchain as a digital public ledger that records all Bitcoin transactions. Miners are the auditors of this ledger. Their job is to collect recent, unconfirmed transactions from a pool and assemble them into a candidate block. The real challenge, known as "proof-of-work," is to find a specific cryptographic solution for this block that meets the network's difficulty target. This involves trillions of guesses per second by specialized computers to solve a complex mathematical puzzle.

The first miner to successfully solve the puzzle broadcasts the new block to the network. Other nodes then verify the solution and the transactions within. Once confirmed, the block is added to the chain. As a reward for this computationally expensive work that secures the network, the miner receives a block reward. This reward consists of newly minted bitcoins (the "coinbase") plus the transaction fees from all transactions included in the block. This is how new bitcoin is created.

So, how can you view or understand Bitcoin mining today? You don't necessarily need to be a miner to observe it. Several online blockchain explorers, such as Blockchain.com or Blockstream.info, allow anyone to view mining activity in real-time. You can see the latest blocks being added, their size, the transactions they contain, and which mining pool successfully mined them. Watching the steady addition of blocks, approximately every 10 minutes, provides a live view of the mining process.

For those interested in participating, getting started requires careful consideration. It has evolved from individuals using home computers to a highly professionalized industry dominated by specialized hardware called ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). Key factors now include the substantial upfront cost of equipment, relentless electricity consumption, access to cheap power, and joining a mining pool to combine computational resources for a more consistent, shared reward.

The environmental impact of Bitcoin mining's energy use is a significant topic of debate. It's important to note that the industry is increasingly seeking renewable energy sources and utilizing stranded or flared gas. The energy expenditure is what makes the network so secure; attacking it would require an impossible amount of computational power and energy, thereby protecting the value of the system.

In conclusion, viewing Bitcoin mining is about understanding its dual role as a decentralized mint and a security guardian. While the barrier to entry for profitable mining is high, anyone can monitor its heartbeat through blockchain explorers. The process, though energy-intensive, is designed to create unparalleled security and predictability in a trustless financial system, ensuring that Bitcoin remains decentralized and resistant to censorship.