A New York Art Exhibit Features NASA's James Webb Images in 3D, VR, Holograms, and More!

Ever since NASA's James Webb Space Telescope graced us with its first full-color images, the astronomy community has never been the same ever since.

It has introduced us to the deepest image of the universe, the first image of an exoplanet, and other stunning views of deep space. But what if we can witness the wonders that Webb has captured here on Earth?

The "Unfolding the Universe: First Light" art exhibition by conceptual artist Ashley Zelinskie offers a singular perspective that incorporates 3D-printed sculptures, a virtual reality experience, holograms, and more, as reported first by Space.com.

The art exhibit is located at ONX Studios in New York City.

Highlighted Pieces of Art

A copper-plated 3D print of the Southern Ring Nebula, taken from one of the first Webb images made public in July, is one of the highlighted pieces of art in the exhibit.

Zelinksie claimed that the print's center features aquamarine jewels that are composed of beryllium, an incredibly light metal used to make the primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope.

The artist described the "Southern Ring Nebula" artwork as a "generative piece of art" that was made utilizing various information from the Webb photograph and the nebula's distance from Earth, as per Space.com.

Each star in the work is a "James Webb star," according to the artist. These stars are recognized by their distinctive six spikes, which are a result of the hexagonal mirror segments that catch incoming light and are visible in Webb images.

Every piece in the exhibit was masterfully crafted by Zelinskie, who worked closely with NASA scientists to ensure that the artwork was both aesthetically pleasing and scientifically correct.

She stated that her intention was to accurately and respectfully represent the science involved in the newly-minted space telescope.

Exploration JWST

A spectacular 3D model of the primary mirror of the space telescope, complete with all 18 of its hexagonal segments and three human arms protruding from its core, is one of the exhibit's major attractions.

According to Zelinskie's website, the piece is known as "Exploration JWST" and its "arms are reaching out of the primary mirror of the JWST as though they are reaching through a portal to the ends of the universe."

The arms were made using 3D scans of the actual arms of astronomer and Nobel Prize winner John Cromwell Mather, NASA's deputy project scientist for JWST scientific communications, astronomer Amber Straughn, and Zelinskie.

Meanwhile, the VR experience of the exhibit transports immerses viewers to a "sky" gallery where they may observe her virtual installation, according to the artist's website.

The free exhibit is open through October 23 and includes various NASA speakers. You can sign up on Eventbrite to join those talks.

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla