Data in a Cube

I’m kind of a sucker for astronomy-inspired art. My interest probably stems back to my undergraduate days when I took an astronomy class and the prof encouraged us to be creative and use astronomy in unique ways. So, for an extra credit project  (for those of us who had an A in the class already) we could do an “artwork” astro project. I don’t remember what I did, but I do recall seeing a few astronomy quilts and paintings.

A couple of years ago a friend sent me to a link about a woman who has created (using lasers and glass) a 3D sculpture of the Milky Way Galaxy. Her name is Bathsheba Grossman and she creates other cosmic work as well.  Her galaxy is based on data obtained from the Goddard Space Flight Center (most likely an amalgamation of several galaxy survey data sets). it’s awfully pretty and I think would look pretty dramatic in a darkened room.

As you might imagine, there have been advances in mapping our galaxy as detectors and telescopes improve. One of the best and newest data sets of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy was created by the folks at Japan’s National Astronomy Observatory. It’s called the 4D2U project.  I worked on a video about 4D2U with the folks at Subaru Observatory a few years ago and had a chance to play with a beta verson of their navigator (see the link above to visit their site).

Now, an artist in Japan has created a new crystallized view of the galaxy available, based on 4D2U data. It, too, was created with crystal and a laser, and shows our galaxy in great detail.

Both galaxy sculptures are striking and thought-provoking. They illuminate for us just how our galaxy looks, and what we’ve learned about it with our Big Telescopes and far-seeing instruments.  I expect in a few more years, we’ll have even more detailed data sets. I wonder what the crystal galaxies will look like then??