Tessera
Folgen

Stuart Atkinson

@stuartatkinson.bsky.social

Amateur astronomer and author of science fiction and science reference books, including "A Cat's Guide to The Night Sky". Fascinated by Mars since knee high to R2D2 and owned by a very demanding rescue cat called Jess.

1193 Posts2113 Follower330 Folgt
Stuart Atkinson@stuartatkinson.bsky.social · yesterday

Gorgeous new view from Curiosity, including the return of the glorious Clayborne Range (my nickname for the bright peaks on the skyline, honouring Red Mars' geologist Anne Clayborne, which I'll keep using until NASA adopts it or tells me to stop!) Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/S Atkinson

BildBild
Don Davis@ddavisspaceart.bsky.social · 2d ago

51 years ago I painted a trio of Viking related works for NASA HQ including the widely reproduced one of the landing on Mars. I have reimagined the Landing portrayal in updated form using digital methods of visualization and painting. I chose the same angle but with reality replacing anticipation.

This oil painting portrays the Viking 1 landing on Mars, which appeared in countless publications. The story of this work is relayed in an earlier post and is shown here for comparison with the new portrayal of this very view, showing the event as it would have appeared. This 1975 anticipatory painting was done with oils on a gesso smoothed 16 X 20 canvas panel, using traditional art methods including a tracing paper guide featured earlier. This work shows in retrospect my ideal of the 'spirit of space art', showing something of a summary of what is known of the subject while conveying what it is about the subject's known or theorized attributes that I find visually compelling. The new digital painting updates that visual impression with one based on our current knowledge. The new digital work was also done at the same size as this one was for possible printing purposes, 16 by 20 inches at 300 DPI. #Sciart In 1976 the pair of Viking spacecraft orbiter/lander combos were sent to Mars. Before Viking, Mars was still largely a place of our imaginations, an unknown that we wrote stories about then studied from Earth and space. The dominance of cratered terrain on the portions of Mars photographed by Mariners 4, 6 and 7 gave an initially Lunar impression of that world, which changed during the development of the Viking lander after Mariner 9 revealed the planet. The first landing was aimed for a flat flood plain, judged as a decent place to search for life. The landing date was July 4, however the intended site appeared too rough for comfort in the high quality orbiter photos, causing the landing to wisely be delayed. A smoother site further 'down stream' was found using photo and radar data. The landing proceeded quite nominally, a magnificent achievement that apparently accounted for what it had to and made it the first time. The first photo from the surface was a look at a footpad to see how solid the 'footing' appeared. Then a moderate resolution panorama of the surroundings was obtained, first showing the rocks, hills, dunes-and bright sky. The latter was my biggest surprise as a space artist. The adjustments to the color balance of the later photos were gradually narrowed down. The ubiquitous dust is planet wide, suspended in the air and coloring the sky a luminous tan ochre. This digital painting shows the view a meter above the surface seeing the lander briefly kicking up dust less than a second before touchdown with the footpads 1.4 meters high. The landing rockets were designed with many nozzles to disturb the surroundings as little as possible. The nearby disturbed dust resembles in color that of the sky. We are 6 meters away from the center of the lander. field of view is 60 degrees, we are looking Northwest with the Sun and Earth off the frame to the left. This is a digital art update of the pre mission oil painting I did for NASA HQ 1n 1975. #Sciart
Stuart Atkinson@stuartatkinson.bsky.social · 4d ago

I genuinely can't get my head around the fact that NASA's Moon-obsessed Administrator would rather send a "spare" Mars rover to the Moon than bring Perseverance's precious sample tubes back from Mars. It's insane how they've been abandoned like trash thrown out a car window.

Stuart Atkinson@stuartatkinson.bsky.social · 5d ago

...meanwhile, halfway around Mars, Curiosity appears to have hauled herself almost to the top of the ledge she's been edging towards the past few sols. Hope we get a good view of the Clayborne Range* soon! (*My totally made up name for the yardangs on the skyline, honouring Red Mars' Ann Clayborne)

Bild
Stuart Atkinson@stuartatkinson.bsky.social · last wk.

Just look at these beautiful new views of Mars sent back by Perseverance... Wind-blown dunes of cinnamon-hued dust, strewn with boulders, rocks & stones, as far as the eye can see... Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Additional processing: S Atkinson

This is a mosaic of multiple images taken by the Mars rover Perseverance, stitched together and processed by amateur astronomer and Mars enthusiast Stuart AtkinsonThis is a mosaic of multiple images taken by the Mars rover Perseverance, stitched together and processed by amateur astronomer and Mars enthusiast Stuart AtkinsonThis is a mosaic of multiple images taken by the Mars rover Perseverance, stitched together and processed by amateur astronomer and Mars enthusiast Stuart AtkinsonThis is a mosaic of multiple images taken by the Mars rover Perseverance, stitched together and processed by amateur astronomer and Mars enthusiast Stuart Atkinson
Stuart Atkinson@stuartatkinson.bsky.social · last wk.

In today's episode of "The Weird and Wonderful Rocks of Mars" we have this gloriously twisted rock seen by the Perseverance rover - a "ventifact", shaped and sculpted by the icy winds of Barsoom. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/S Atkinson

Bild
Stuart Atkinson@stuartatkinson.bsky.social · 2w ago

Happy (and relieved) to report that after being pretty fed up with the heat for the past month or so, with a sore eye needing eyedrops (£££!!) too, Jess is feeling much happier tonight now it's cooler and her eye is better too...

Bild
Stuart Atkinson@stuartatkinson.bsky.social · 2w ago

New panoramic view of The Clayborne* Range on Mars, as seen by Curiosity. (*that's just my nickname for this, honouring Ann Clayborne from Red Mars, but I'll keep using it until NASA either adopts it or bans me from using it!) Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/S Atkinson

Half a dozen images taken by the Mars rover Curiosity, stitched together to make a panoramic view of features on the horizon. Processor Stuart Atkinson has named this "The Clayborne Range" in honour of geologist Ann Clayborne, a character from Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. It is not a name used by NASA but he says he will keep using it and ask others to until NASA either adopts the name or bans him from using it!
Stuart Atkinson@stuartatkinson.bsky.social · 3w ago

50 years ago Viking 1 sent back this first colour view of the surface of Mars. Yesterday the Perseverance rover sent back these new views of the landscape outside Jezero Crater... As the song says, "It's been a long road getting from there to here..."

The surface of Mars as seen by the Viking 1 lander, in July 1976The surface of Mars as seen by the Perseverance rover in July 2026...
Stuart Atkinson@stuartatkinson.bsky.social · 3w ago

Gorgeous new view from Perseverance, looking back over her shoulder at her tracks in the martian dust as she continues to explore the terrain outside Jezero Crater... Processed mosaic of July 16th images, Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/S Atkinson

Bild