moon

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Art

Nine Satellite-Shaped LED Installations Visualize the Moon’s Phases

Nine rotating LED works light up the sky with full, waxing, and waning phases of the moon in a new installation by Taipei-based arts studio Whyixd. The work, #define Moon_, is installed on the campus of National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and provides a completely different visual experience depending on the angle. Utilizing motors, the LED lights spin to create each shape, providing a kinetic element to the satellite-shaped structures.

The name of the project, “#define Moon_” is based off of the computer directive “#define.” The underscore denotes a part of uncompleted code, thus asking the viewer to create their own interpretation of how the installation, or moon itself, serves as a contemporary influence. You can see other kinetic light installations by the art collective, such as their Shanghai-based whirling light installation Dandelion, on their website, Instagram, and Youtube. (via designboom)

Design Science

The Museum of the Moon: An Illuminated 23-Foot Lunar Replica Currently Touring the World

Photo: Carl Milner

Multidisciplinary artist Luke Jerram has created several exacting 23-foot replicas of the moon, which are currently touring the world as Museum of the Moon. The lunar project has been installed in public spaces ranging from China and Finland to the United Arab Emirates and Australia, and is accompanied by music from composer Dan Jones. Locations vary and include indoor and outdoor spaces as well as festivals, to intentionally alter the interpretation and experience of the project for viewers around the world.

To create the large illuminated sculptures, the British artist used a massive image (nearly 70 feet wide) of the moon created by NASA’s Astrogeology Science Center. The image itself was taken by a NASA satellite carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, which was launched in 2010. Each centimeter of Jerram’s replicas represent 5 kilometers of the moon’s surface.

Jerram also shares in a statement, “As it travels from place to place, it will gather new musical compositions and an ongoing collection of personal responses, stories and mythologies, as well as highlighting the latest moon science.” This information is compiled on Museum of the Moon online research page. You can find out where the moons will be next on the museum’s website and see photos with the #museumofthemoon hashtag. (via designboom)

Photo: Gareth Jones

Photo: Leeds Living

Photo: Neil James

Photo: Robert Sils

Science

A Short Film Captures the Reactions of LA Residents to Viewing the Moon Through a Traveling Telescope

Directors Alex Gorosh (previously) and Wylie Overstreet (previously) have released another film about the moon after their previous educational short outlining why the 2017 eclipse should not be missed. A New View of The Moon features Overstreet parking his telescope at the cross-section of various LA sidewalks to give spontaneous glimpses of the moon to interested passersby.

Over the course of 18 months the pair brought the telescope to as many diverse locations across the city as possible, making sure not to focus on any specific neighborhood or landmark. Despite the range of individuals that snuck a peek at the orbiting astronomical body, each had the same reaction— complete awe.

“To be able to see it up close and feel like you could almost reach out and touch it, that’s what makes it real to us,” said Overstreet in the short film. “It makes you realize that we are all on this small little planet, and we all have the same reaction to the universe we live in. I think there is something special about that, something unifying. It’s a great reminder that we should look up more often.”

If you are interested in getting your own look at the moon, check your local library. Many across the US and UK rent out telescopes free of charge. For more videos by Gorosh (including this piece where he attempts to view every single piece of art in London in one day) check out his website. You can also view more short films by Overstreet on his website.

Design

This Resin and Fiberglass Table by Harow Replicates the Surface of the Moon

Using digital files pulled from NASA’s archives, French design studio Harow designed a table that replicates the real topology of the moon’s surface. The Apollo 11 Table features a sculpted fiberglass slab in the form of a lunar crater. Covering this thick segment is a layer of resin, which allows one to fully view its dips and crevices while providing coverage to the uneven terrain. The brass and aluminum alloy feet also pay homage to the many Apollo missions, parts that put a modern spin on the Lunar Excursion Module‘s original landing pads.

You can view more of Harow’s designs, including these Apollo landing wall works, on their website and Instagram. (via This Isn’t Happiness)

Science

Go See This Eclipse: A Scaled Simulation by Alex Gorosh

In this new short film, director Alex Gorosh (previously) walks us through next week’s total solar eclipse and explains why it’s so important to see it. The mix of archival footage, scientific explanation, and a brief outdoor simulation to demonstrate scale similar to his 2015 video about the solar system, all make a compelling emotional argument that this eclipse shouldn’t be missed. Just make sure you’re prepared.

Art Craft

Hand-Painted Ceramics Decorated to Match the Bright, Blue Sky

Sydney-based artist Niharika Hukku translates the fine detail work she learned as an illustrator to her painted ceramics, creating natural scenes that range from fluffy white clouds to schools of swimming fish. Each vessel is thrown and fired by Hukku herself, and finished with a variety of ceramic glazes. When she’s not creating and decorating porcelain, she is an avid water color painter, often working in large-scale. You can see a more diverse range of her inspiration, including kookaburras and koi fish, on her Instagram and website.