Crafts: Sundial

"Nuclear Fusion Powered Clock" by Tehm

Via: Imgur

"It is made of 29.5 x 26 x 2.5 cm polished marble that had the misfortune of having a small defect, disqualifying it from any serious project. Gnomon (a.k.a. "metal triangle") is made of 2mm thick aluminum."

Sci-Fi Round-Up: August 23, 2017

Solar Eclipse 2017 by Kirsten Jorgensen of Idaho

Via: NBCNightlyNews

Interviews

Acclaimed creator Ed Piskor takes on mutant history in a unique way!
Luc Besson: 'Valerian' Is Reaction To 'Dark' Hollywood Sci-Fi
Ron Moore On Why Replicators Are The Worst, And Other Words Of ...
Sci-Fi Author Stephen Baxter On His War Of The World's Sequel

Infographic: Tabletop Whale

"The Goddess of Venus" by Eleanor Lutz

"Landmarks on Venus are named after famous women or goddesses. I made a map introducing the woman behind each name. You can find the full-size map here."

At Tabletop Whale, graphic designer and molecular biologist Eleanor Lutz showcases her scientific infographics, illustrations and drawings. Examples include virus trading cards, colorful butterflies of North America, immunology pop art and a user's guide to muscles.

Lutz's work has been featured all over the internet, including in an interview for Paste Magazine and an article for Wired.  She also has a Tumblr devoted to her work.  Check out some of the highlights from her galleries at the links below:

Animal Kingdom

• An animated chart of 42 North American butterflies
• Flight videos deconstructed: wing movements of various flying creatures
• A visual compendium of glowing creatures

Astronomy

• The Goddesses of Venus: A topographic map
• Here there be robots: A medieval map of Mars
• Planet Earth Control Deck

Posters: Solar System Planets

"Solar System Planets" by Justin Van Genderen

Prints available for purchase from the artist's website. US$35 - $40

3D Print: 3D Printed Planets

3D Printed Planets and Moons by George Ioannidis of Little Planet Factory

Prints available for purchase from Etsy.

George Ioannidis of Little Planet Factory has created a wonderful line of high resolution miniature planets, moons and solar systems (1:1.5 billion, 1:1 billion, or 1:0.7 billion), each of which are made to scale using a unique 3D printing method along with a bit of hand artistry. Ioannidis’ work is available for purchase through his site and through his Etsy store.

When it is time to make a globe, the model is not cast or moulded rather downloaded to machines able to construct it out of dust sized particles from the bottom up layer by layer, placing both colour and geometry accurately. What this means is no equatorial seam, custom sizes & scaling and impossible to traditionally manufacture full colour details. After construction is complete, each globe receives a manual inspection and a hand applied layer of protective coating before being securely packaged for dispatch.

Posters: TRAPPIST-1e Travel

TRAPPIST-1e Travel Poster from NASA

Posters available to download from NASA.

Yesterday, NASA announced the discovery of a new solar system just 39 light years from ours, full of Earthlike planets.  The announcement was accompanied by several imaginative artist renderings, and this morning, NASA began offering downloadable travel posters.

Painting: Billions and Billions

"Billions and Billions" by JesEwers

24x60 oil on gallery wrapped 1.5" deep canvas - original space painting.

Link Round-Up: March 17, 2016

"Here there be robots: A medieval map of Mars" by Hellofromthemoon

Prints available for purchase from RedBubble.

Beyond Gorgeous Video Shows the Making of a Damascus Steel Sword

Interactive Dragon Ball Z Scene Plays out on Coffee Cups

The Folio Society's Edition Of 2001: A Space Odyssey Is Absolutely Amazing

This LEGO Hulkbuster Is Over 8-Feet Tall

Predator at Dentist by Simon Lee

This Poster Beautifully Details Humankind's Many Space Explorations

Lego Creation: Orrery

"LEGO Orrery - Earth, Moon and Sun" by JK Brickworks

Lego Orrerys are nothing new, but few can claim the accuracy of the one built by Jason Allemann of JK Brickworks. The model is actually 97 percent accurate in terms of rotation. Obviously it isn’t to scale or anything.

Since Allemann was restricted by the components available in Lego’s Technic line, the moon in the model orbits the Earth every 28 days while his Earth orbits the sun every 375 days.  

Posters: Solar System

"Solar System" by Megan Lee

Prints available for purchase from Etsy. US$64.50

Posters: Moon

"Moon" by Steven Toang

Prints available for purchase from Society6. US$18

Quick Pic: Solar System Ornaments

Hand-Painted Solar System 9-Planet Holiday Ornaments by Velaciela

Prints available for purchase from Etsy.

Humor: Neil deGrasse Tyson Cameo

Neil deGrasse Tyson Cameo by Brooklyn Nine-Nine s03e09

Typically, I regard gifsets with nothing but contempt, but for Neil deGrasse Tyson I will make an exception every day of the week.  The man is a national treasure.  The look of smug satisfaction on Tyson's face when Terry introduces him by his title in the fourth gif is priceless.

Quick Pic: Mars Announcement

"How NASA Should Have Announced Their Findings" by MisterAlaska

Source: Imgur via Reddit

Short Film: Star Stuff

"Star Stuff" by Ratimir Rakuljic

“Star Stuff” is a short film by writer and director Ratimir Rakuljic about a curious young boy who grows up to become famed astrophysicist Carl Sagan. The film follows Sagan as a boy trying to learn what the stars are, and how he makes the important discoveries that led to his later work.

"What are the stars?

In search of an answer to that seemingly simple question, Carl, a curious child, sets off on a great voyage of discovery.

As one question is answered, more appear. Soon enough, where once stood but a curious boy, a great scientist will rise."

Poetry: Pale Blue Dot

"Pale Blue Dot" by Singapore-based Chin Li Zhi

This is one of the most beautiful Carl Sagan I've seen yet.  With this visual poem, Chin Li Zhi situates human history against the tapestry of the cosmos. Using an eclectic combination of visual styles woven seamlessly together with music, the animation seeks to remind us that regardless of our differences, we are one species living together on the planet we call home.

Photography: Hubble Photographs

The Orion Nebula

Hubble Telescopes’ Most Fantastic Photographs

Source: Hubble Site

Dubbed the Orion Nebula, this particular nebula is among the brightest in our night sky and one of the most widely studied nebula in the history of the science. Situated near Orion’s Belt constellation (where it is visible to the naked eye as the middle star in Orion’s sword), the Orion Nebula is home to thousands of stars, all in various stages of life. It has been speculated that human civilizations as early as the Mayans were aware of the nebula and included it in their myths.

Infographic: Planets in Foreign Languages

"The Solar System in Other Languages" by Manchester, England-based artist James Chapman

Prints available for purchase from Etsy. £6.00

"We are all on Planet Earth.  OR ARE WE?

If you speak English, then you're probably right. But different languages have different names for planets and some of them sound way more cool and sci-fi than the English ones.

When the aliens come, I'd rather introduce myself as being from Planet Ziemia because it sounds a lot more mysterious than regular boring "Earth"

Anyway, the same goes for the other planets and they're all adorably illustrated here."

Posters: Exoplanet Travel

Exoplanet Travel Posters from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Inspired by vintage posters from the golden age of travel.

Where are you going on your next vacation? The beach? The Grand Canyon? Hiking in the mountains? NASA has a much better idea.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology is marketing three other-worldly travel destinations in the form of hypothetical posters from the fictional Exoplanet Travel Bureau. The posters, released in December, depict three exoplanets—planets that orbit a star other than our sun—the way travel posters in the 1930s portrayed Australia, Palestine, the Soviet Union and even Amtrak lines, as Business Insider points out.

The posters were created by NASA JPL Visual Strategists Joby Harris, David Delgado and Dan Goods, says Elizabeth Landau, a spokeswoman for NASA JPL. They were published on PlanetQuest, the public information site for NASA’s exoplanet exploration program.

Crafts: Carina Nebula

"The Mystic Mountain, Carina Nebula" by Sarah

12 x 12 cm, 22 stitches per inch, 50 colors.

This is gorgeous, but who in their right mind takes up a fifty color pattern?  And with not a single straight line in the whole piece, I'm pretty sure that there was an enormous amount of counting involved.