Alastair Williams
@alastairwilliams.bsky.social
Space engineer, science writer, and author of The Quantum Cat
In this incredible image, the Earth eclipses the Sun. Viewed by the returning astronauts of Apollo 12, and credit goes to them and to NASA.
#space #art #historyofastronomy
#space #art #historyofastronomy
July 23, 2025 at 4:06 PM
In this incredible image, the Earth eclipses the Sun. Viewed by the returning astronauts of Apollo 12, and credit goes to them and to NASA.
#space #art #historyofastronomy
#space #art #historyofastronomy
A concept from 1969 of a space station. It was to be made of old Apollo stages, and to make sure the astronauts living there did not suffer from endless weightlessness, the station was supposed to constantly spin as it orbited the Earth.
Credit, of course, to NASA.
#space #art #NASA
Credit, of course, to NASA.
#space #art #NASA
July 18, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Tromholt tried desperately to photograph the aurora in 1882. But the cameras of the day couldn't capture the faint and shimmering light, so eventually he admitted defeat. Instead of photographs, then, he made wonderful sketches like this. From the University of Bergen Library.
#space #art 🔭
#space #art 🔭
May 26, 2025 at 7:09 PM
May 14, 2025 at 4:26 PM
A geologic relief map of France created in 1905 from the 'Service De La Carte Geologique detaillee de la France'.
#France #Geology #Art #Maps #Cartography
#France #Geology #Art #Maps #Cartography
May 14, 2025 at 7:23 AM
A geologic relief map of France created in 1905 from the 'Service De La Carte Geologique detaillee de la France'.
#France #Geology #Art #Maps #Cartography
#France #Geology #Art #Maps #Cartography
The solar eclipse of 1869, photographed by Henry Morton and published in the first ever edition of Nature.
#history #historyofastronomy #photography #space
#history #historyofastronomy #photography #space
May 13, 2025 at 5:57 PM
The solar eclipse of 1869, photographed by Henry Morton and published in the first ever edition of Nature.
#history #historyofastronomy #photography #space
#history #historyofastronomy #photography #space
May 12, 2025 at 8:37 PM
This is a place where stars are being born, where fantastic winds are sculpting clouds of gas, and where streams of stardust are cascading out into the vastness of space. This is what the universe looks like to Hubble.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, M. Livio
#space #astronomy #hubble #art
Image credit: NASA, ESA, M. Livio
#space #astronomy #hubble #art
May 6, 2025 at 9:13 PM
This is a place where stars are being born, where fantastic winds are sculpting clouds of gas, and where streams of stardust are cascading out into the vastness of space. This is what the universe looks like to Hubble.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, M. Livio
#space #astronomy #hubble #art
Image credit: NASA, ESA, M. Livio
#space #astronomy #hubble #art
Jupiter with its moon Europa on the left. To put the sizes in context, Europa is only slightly smaller than the Earth’s Moon, while the Earth could fit in the Great Red Spot three times over. Image credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon, and M. H. Wong, and the OPAL team.
#astronomy #space #art #hubble
#astronomy #space #art #hubble
May 5, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Jupiter with its moon Europa on the left. To put the sizes in context, Europa is only slightly smaller than the Earth’s Moon, while the Earth could fit in the Great Red Spot three times over. Image credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon, and M. H. Wong, and the OPAL team.
#astronomy #space #art #hubble
#astronomy #space #art #hubble
April 23, 2025 at 7:39 PM
The world, as depicted by al-Idrisi in 1154. North is at the bottom.
#history #maps #art #historyofmaps
#history #maps #art #historyofmaps
March 18, 2025 at 5:39 PM
The world, as depicted by al-Idrisi in 1154. North is at the bottom.
#history #maps #art #historyofmaps
#history #maps #art #historyofmaps
An Eclipse of the Sun by the Earth, imagined from the lunar surface.
James Nasymth, 1874
#art #historyofastronomy #space
James Nasymth, 1874
#art #historyofastronomy #space
March 7, 2025 at 4:57 PM
An Eclipse of the Sun by the Earth, imagined from the lunar surface.
James Nasymth, 1874
#art #historyofastronomy #space
James Nasymth, 1874
#art #historyofastronomy #space
March 5, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Étienne Léopold Trouvelot made more than seven thousand astronomical drawings, covering everything from the planets to the coming of a solar eclipse. He drew this one, of Jupiter, in 1882.
#art #historyofastronomy #space #theartofscience
#art #historyofastronomy #space #theartofscience
February 14, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Étienne Léopold Trouvelot made more than seven thousand astronomical drawings, covering everything from the planets to the coming of a solar eclipse. He drew this one, of Jupiter, in 1882.
#art #historyofastronomy #space #theartofscience
#art #historyofastronomy #space #theartofscience
In November of 1743 a comet appeared in the sky. Within weeks it had become one of the brightest of time. It had - for reasons still unclear - six dramatic tails sweeping out from its head.
Image from A Popular Treatise on Comets, 1861
#historyofastronomy #art #science #astronomy #history
Image from A Popular Treatise on Comets, 1861
#historyofastronomy #art #science #astronomy #history
February 12, 2025 at 5:20 PM
In November of 1743 a comet appeared in the sky. Within weeks it had become one of the brightest of time. It had - for reasons still unclear - six dramatic tails sweeping out from its head.
Image from A Popular Treatise on Comets, 1861
#historyofastronomy #art #science #astronomy #history
Image from A Popular Treatise on Comets, 1861
#historyofastronomy #art #science #astronomy #history
ESO has some fantastic images of comet C/2024 G3 from their observatory in Chile
🧪🔭
Credit for this one belongs to F. Millour/ESO
🧪🔭
Credit for this one belongs to F. Millour/ESO
February 3, 2025 at 4:44 PM
ESO has some fantastic images of comet C/2024 G3 from their observatory in Chile
🧪🔭
Credit for this one belongs to F. Millour/ESO
🧪🔭
Credit for this one belongs to F. Millour/ESO
Canals on Mars? Lowell's 1908 map of the Martian Canals, from his book "Mars as an Abode of Life".
#historyofastronomy #history #art #science
#historyofastronomy #history #art #science
January 31, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Canals on Mars? Lowell's 1908 map of the Martian Canals, from his book "Mars as an Abode of Life".
#historyofastronomy #history #art #science
#historyofastronomy #history #art #science
January 29, 2025 at 5:07 PM
The Babylonian star catalogues recorded sixty-six stars and constellations and were probably created around 1300 BC.
This image was taken by the British Museum.
#historyofastronomy #space #history
This image was taken by the British Museum.
#historyofastronomy #space #history
January 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The Babylonian star catalogues recorded sixty-six stars and constellations and were probably created around 1300 BC.
This image was taken by the British Museum.
#historyofastronomy #space #history
This image was taken by the British Museum.
#historyofastronomy #space #history
The Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa records the risings of Venus thirty-seven centuries ago, during the reign of King Ammisaduqa of Babylon.
#history #historyofastronomy 🧪🔭
#history #historyofastronomy 🧪🔭
January 17, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa records the risings of Venus thirty-seven centuries ago, during the reign of King Ammisaduqa of Babylon.
#history #historyofastronomy 🧪🔭
#history #historyofastronomy 🧪🔭
I took this photograph about ten years ago in Busan, South Korea. After going back it was remarkable to see how fast the city was changing.
#photography #korea #busan #citylife
#photography #korea #busan #citylife
January 15, 2025 at 5:07 PM
I took this photograph about ten years ago in Busan, South Korea. After going back it was remarkable to see how fast the city was changing.
#photography #korea #busan #citylife
#photography #korea #busan #citylife
January 13, 2025 at 5:03 PM
January 10, 2025 at 4:57 PM