Week 9 Assignment: Space&Art

The last week of the class! And finally, we came to the space chapter, which I have been waiting for the whole quarter! Space is always full of fascination to me. For me, the brilliant star sky and vast dark world above have long been attracting my attention since I was very young and little. For a very long time, it was proud and joyful when people ask me what I want to do when I grow up; and I would say, "An astronomer!" As a matter of fact, the space has not only attracted my attention but also the ancients intellectuals. In Han dynasty China, astronomer Zhang Heng(AD 78-139) has written The Spiritual Constitution of the Universe, which discussed the birth of the universe, the star map and the explanation of sun and moon eclipses. During Renaissance period, Nicolaus Copernicus(1473-1543) proposed that the sun is the center of the universe, which was really a revolutionary idea at that time. Accompanied by the development of the technology, human is able to use tools like telescope and later the space shuttles to explore the outer space. 

Chinese ancient star map

Besides, the rapid development of aerospace was largely due to the thrilling Cold War between two super powers after the World War Two--USSR and USA. Although guided by political confrontation, the propellant impact on scientific field is unquestionable. Human beings are able to send people into the outer space and then come back home safely! The space travel that has long been a topic for science fiction finally comes true. 

Neil Armstrong moon landing in 1969

Moreover, I think apart from the political competition, the imagination of artists and writers is a crucial factor of astronomy. Movies like Star Trek, Star War in the early time, and Gravity recently showed up all reveal the great interest and high expectation people have about the space and our future in it. Artists and writers are eagerly producing great artworks that could go beyond human understandings and power.  The recent movie Gravity also exhibited the highest level of photography and editing of our film makers. It simplified the story line and actors interaction but executed the visual effects in an extraordinary level. 

Trailer of Gravity

Work Cited

Dunbar, Brian. "Neil Armstrong Biography." NASA. NASA, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/bios/neilabio.html>.

"Gravity." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454468/>.

Redd, Nola T. "Nicolaus Copernicus Biography: Facts & Discoveries." Space.com. TechMedia Network, 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. <http://www.space.com/15684-nicolaus-copernicus.html>.

"Star Trek." StarTrek.com. CBS Studios Inc., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. <http://www.startrek.com/>.

"Zhang Heng." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Heng#Astronomy_and_mathematics>.