More Space Tees
Posted by Danielle in Fashion & Accessories on February 23, 2010
Posting two cool tees I saw recently on Threadless (via @moonrangerlaura.)
Space Quilting
Posted by Danielle in Crafts & Hobby Projects on February 22, 2010
This is a quilt by the talented Jimmy McBride. A QUILT. Of the Eagle Pillars Hubble photo. You know, this one?

He has many fantastic quilts in his portfolio, and I owe my finding of Mr. McBride to this article, via @avgjanecrafter. WOW. Space quilts!!
Friday Fun-post
Found the above forced-perspective shot here (along with another shuttle-related photo which I am uh, *not* going to post here, but it’s snicker-worthy. You’ll know it when you see it.) Thought I’d post some fun/interesting pictures today, because it is Friday, after all!
This next one is a long exposure of the Expedition 22 Soyuz rollout, and you know how much I LOVE long-exposure/night photography:
The Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft is seen in this long exposure as it is rolled out by train to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 22 NASA Flight Engineer Timothy J. Creamer of the U.S., Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov of Russia and Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi of Japan, is scheduled for Monday, Dec., 21, 2009 at 3:52a.m. Kazakhstan time. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
And finally, Etherbrian introduced me to these lovely ladies with their remarkable futuristic fashions! I’d love to know what this is from, if someone on the Intarwebs knows: Update: They hail from the 1970s British show UFO, a precursor to Space: 1999.

Spacemen Rock
Posted by Danielle in Fashion & Accessories on February 18, 2010
I absolutely MUST have this shirt. Spacemen DO rock! (I especially love the cymbal and hi-hat details where the command module antennae would be.)
Room With A View
One of the things delivered to the International Space Station this trip is the Cupola, a seven-windowed dome giving the residents a 360° view. Above, removing launch restraint bolts from the Cupola’s windows:
ISS022-E-066884 (17 Feb. 2010) — NASA astronaut Nicholas Patrick, STS-130 mission specialist, participates in the mission’s third and final session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the five-hour, 48-minute spacewalk, Patrick and astronaut Robert Behnken (out of frame), mission specialist, completed all of their planned tasks, removing insulation blankets and removing launch restraint bolts from each of the Cupola’s seven windows.
Below, moving it from place to place with the robotic arm (it’s in the middle of the picture, still covered with insulation blankets):
In the grasp of the Canadarm2, the cupola was relocated from the forward port to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s newly installed Tranquility node. The cupola is a robotic control station with six windows around its sides and another in the center that will provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecrafts. With the installation of Tranquility and cupola, the space station is about 90 percent complete.
Image Credit: NASA
And here is the final result, courtesy of astronaut Noguchi Soichi:
EDIT: And here’s a hi-res NASA image taken just after, can see the Sahara better — but Soichi was FIRST. ;)
ISS022-E-066972 (17 Feb. 2010) — This image is the first taken through a first of its kind “bay window” on the International Space Station, the seven-windowed Cupola. The image shows the Sahara Desert spread out through the array of windows. The Cupola will house controls for the station robotics and will be a location where crew members can operate the robotic arms and monitor other exterior activities.
Launch Reflection
I generally try to avoid posting two APOD pictures back to back, but it’s late (the night before), I’m tired, and this is a spectacular photo that posted over the weekend (so you may not have seen it.) I admit, I’m a sucker for night photography, but the framing of this shot — and oh, the colors!! — makes it downright FANTASTIC. Beautifully done, Mr. Vernacotola.
UPDATE, 2/22: The photographer has set up a special page for this photo, with a large Q&A section and reassurances that prints will be available soon. Join the mailing list to stay informed.
The 32nd shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-130, left planet Earth on February 8. Its early morning launch to orbit from Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39A followed the long, graceful, eastward arc seen in this 2 minute time exposure. Well composed, the dramatic picture also shows the arc’s watery reflection from the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge, in Ponte Vedra, Florida, about 115 miles north of the launch site. In the celestial background a waning crescent Moon and stars left their own short trails against the still dark sky. The brightest star trail near the moon was made by red supergiant Antares, alpha star of the constellation Scorpius.
Poetry Corner
Posted by Danielle in Books & Literature on February 15, 2010
Thought I’d share yesterday’s lovely Valentine-y APOD with you all, and… some of my poetry. Starting with the older stuff first to shame myself into finishing some new stuff.
Sonnet #2 – On the stars
O what could be the color of a star?
These velvet skies, all strewn with broken glass
So distanced, merely guess at where they are
Omniscient flames that watch what comes to pass.
Some say a goddess shot them from a bow
They scattered from her fingertips like sand
To drift down through the heavens, diamond snow
Like crystal violets falling from her hand.
They twinkle with their carefree voices calling
We listen, but they never seem to mind.
Sometimes you see a gleaming fragment falling
And trailing astral glitter-gems behind.
Tonight I reach for heaven as I must
And try to catch the falling silver dust.
To The Stars!
Posted by Danielle in Art & Architecture, Books & Literature on February 12, 2010

First Spaceship on Venus (from the 1960 East Germany/Poland film)
Handpicking a few — just a few — from Dark Roasted Blend’s latest installment of their “Retro Future: To the Stars!” series of fantastic retro space art.
These three are my favorites from this round; I find the space cowboys especially charming:
Nice Suit
Posted by Danielle in Art & Architecture, Crafts & Hobby Projects on February 11, 2010
Disclaimer: I know absolutely NOTHING about Black Widow, her deadly origin, or anything about her plotline. In fact, pretty much, I know nothing about comics. I learned recently that Iron Man is a Marvel Comic, after seeing the movie, but that’s about the extent of it. Well, I also know that pretty much all superheros are comics. And Batman. And X-Men are comics. Should I keep digging?
Anyway, I think her spacesuit, as illustrated above, is really really cool. And this piece is just GORGEOUS. Love the subtle colors and all the grays.
Planet Posters
Posted by Danielle in Art & Architecture, Entertainment on February 10, 2010
All art on this post © justinvg.
I owe my finding of these fantastic Star Wars planet “poster” graphics to my friend Lexa (who makes me look like I have merely a casual interest in the Star Wars universe. Which, uh… is really not the case!!) I dearly hope justinvg gets these made as actual posters; they’d go so well with the IYA 2009 posters which I long to own.
UPDATE: Posters available here!!


























