Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. In Aotearoa Matariki rises in mid-winter–late May or early June. It traditionally heralds winter solistice in New Zealand or the Māori new year. Matariki translates to the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki). According to myth,…
Continue reading ➞ The magic of Matariki and Māori winter sea navigation
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. In Aotearoa Matariki rises in mid-winter–late May or early June. It traditionally heralds winter solistice in New Zealand or the Māori new year. Matariki translates to the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki). According to myth,…
A composite image of Montmartre and the Milky Way by Faula Thierry Found on Imgur (By Faula Thierry)
This spectacular cloud trail was generated by the lift-off of the Orbiter Discovery (STS-96) on May 27th, 1999. Courtesy of NASA on The Commons via Flickr
Helen Sharman was the first Briton in space. Now that she's back down on Earth, she recounts a beautiful, evocative space dream and how she longs to be back up there orbiting around the pale blue dot. It turns out that astronauts looking at the vastness of continents from space see where the people they love reside,…
Creator Navid Baraty is a freelance photographer in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. In his spare time, this certified space geek loves to arrange common Kitchen condiments into strikingly accurate renditions of the cosmos. "I'm a really big space geek. I'll look at NASA images or Hubble images to see how things were placed in the sky, and I try…
Continue reading ➞ The Culinary Cosmos: A Tasty Rendering of the Universe Using Things We Eat
They could be a collection of post-apocalyptic planets viewed from space. However these pieces of enchanting art were not made by humans but by natural phenomena. Science is beautiful. The excellent Reddit page MicroPorn features close up microscopic images of materials. This collection of oxidised metal films were photographed using a microscope and an Amazon Fire…
So...the Blood Moon last night: I'm sure that this is the perfect time to segway into The Moon from the Mighty Boosh. This white and marshmallowy looking bastard did annoy me last night during the biggest harvest/blood moon in the past few decades. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWTd3oW-HOE I swear it would have been far more enjoyable to…
If you're like me and tend to gaze up at the night sky and wonder about life and the meaning of it all then you can't help but be swept up in the events of the past few weeks. NASA estimates that 1 billion earth-like planets in our galaxy alone NASA New Horizons Crew find…
Continue reading ➞ Join me for an operatic journey at the speed of light
A solar eclipse is an awe-inspiring phenomenon that visits earth only once every couple of years or even decades. Ever since ancient times, humans have been fascinated, fearful and reverent of eclipses. Myth and the Solar Eclipse Ancient Greeks, Mesopotamians and Egyptians were the first to record solar eclipses. In 585 BC, Herodotus wrote 'Day…
The Boy and I went to one of our favourite haunts in Auckland, the endearingly named Miss Clawdys. A southern American style tapas joint nestled within a group of vibrant dockside restaurants and bars in Auckland CBD. After the meal we basked in the wavering neon lights and the large full moon (in Scorpio) that…
Back when Daft Punk weren't even molecules in their parent's loins. Before the remake of Tron. Before techno and electro were born - during a weird primeval melting pot phase of experimentation in music, there was a whole canon of 70's and 80's sci-fi soundtracks that pushed the boundaries of ambient, electronic and rock music.…
Continue reading ➞ Psychadelic Trips Into Aural Space: Six Lost Soundtracks Of Cult Sci-Fi Films
Back in the golden era of space exploration - the 1960's, NASA scientists were concerned with how astronauts would orient their bodies in space. This led to a watershed study at Stanford, featured in the International Journal of Solids and Structures, entitled "A Dynamical Explanation of the Falling Cat Phenomenon." Partly funded by…
Continue reading ➞ The Falling Cat Phenomenon: How NASA Trained Astronauts For Zero Gravity
In the 1970's NASA and Stanford University held three space colony studies. Attendants of the course produced artistic renderings that showed what could theoretically be possible in a future inter-planetary world. This doughnut-shaped world was a pristine, insular and remarkably beautiful space sanctuary called the Stanford Torus. Click on the images below to magnify and view…
Continue reading ➞ Life in a Doughnut-Shaped World: NASA Artwork From the 70’s
This striking and odd meteorite section looks like an email from space or a painting sent to earth by an alien race. For those who are curious (all of you!) these mystical, geometric markings are formed by post-atmospheric cooling. Although these striations and patterns are made by nature, they are reminiscent of a flyer for…
Continue reading ➞ Stunningly Beautiful Meteorite Section Looks Like An Email From Space
