 |
 |
||
 |
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
Space Topics: Cassini-HuygensThe Planetary Society's Huygens Art ContestImagining Titan: Artists Peer Beneath the VeilWhat lies beneath the hazy atmosphere that envelops Saturn's moon, Titan? Now we know, thanks to Huygens and Cassini. Before Huygens arrived at Titan, 435 people from 35 countries entered The Planetary Society's art contest by submitting their stunning visions of this unexplored territory.
The Planetary Society convened a judging panel to select 28 winning artists from 10 different countries. Our grand prize winner, 15-year-old Chelsey Tyler, traveled to the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, where the Huygens mission was controlled, for the spacecraft's encounter with Titan on January 14, 2005. Scroll down to see all the winners' artwork. With the Huygens mission successfully over, The Planetary Society asked two Cassini-Huygens scientists, Jonathan Lunine and Larry Soderblom, to look again at all of the artworks and select one adult and one youth entry that best represented what Huygens saw when she descended beneath Titan's clouds. They selected one new artwork, by artist David Ziels, and re-selected Chelsey Tyler's for this Special Prize. Special Prize Winner (Adult Category)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Titan: Beneath the Veil
Computer produced art (Bryce 5 and Photoshop) David Ziels / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
This artwork was selected as the Special Prize Winner for "that art most closely resembling any portion of the actual Titan panoramic landscape taken by the Huygens probe during its final stages of descent" by Cassini-Huygens scientists Jonathan Lunine and Larry Soderblom. Lunine said, "David Ziels' painting really jumped out at me. When I looked at it, I said 'this is the Huygens landing site.' He really got things right. If you could sit down there on Titan and see things with your own human eyes, David's painting would capture it."
Soderblom agreed: "I think that the channels cutting across the plain in Ziels' painting are remarkably like what we actually saw in the Huygens pictures. That was striking. Also notice how the dark material is in the floors of the little channels -- the methane rivers on Titan were washing this soot off of the hillsides, and then as the stream flow abated the sediment load was dropped, leaving those dark floors. Seeing those dark floors in those scour channels [in Ziels' painting] sort of rang a bell."
Ziels says: "My goal was to produce a speculative portrayal of Titan that was as consistent with our scientific understanding as possible. Like many people, I had hopes that Titan would be a "wet" world, complete with oceans, lakes and flowing rivers. However, the early returns from Cassini revealed no signs of large areas covered by liquids. As a result, the impression I came to was of a dry Mars-like world but more heavily weathered due to the denser atmosphere. I felt that methane rain had probably played a large part in forming the surface features and that methane precipitation would wash any dark organic particles into lower lying areas. I also thought that cryovolcanoes were a possibility so in the background of my image you can see a plume rising high into the atmosphere before being sheared by stratospheric winds. That inspiration came from the plumes imaged by Voyager at Neptune's moon Triton."
Special Prize Winner (Youth Category) and
Grand Prize Winner
Chelsey Tyler, USA, Age 15
Huygens Art Contest Grand Prize Winner: "Chaos Beneath the Veil"
Oil pastel on paper Chelsey Tyler / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
Chelsey says, "Before I started on the picture, I researched Titan and the Huygens probe to give me inspiration. I started on the picture wanting to make a very dark and gloomy landscape, having read that the probe will not be able to use solar power on the surface because of the thickness of the atmosphere. When I realized that dark and gloomy can also translate to boring and indistinct, I began to create contrast. In the end, I had a more chaotic and much more interesting picture than what I had originally envisioned."
"I live in Harrisburg, North Carolina, with my mom, dad, sister, cat, and fish. I've been an artist for as long as I can remember. I started drawing when I noticed my older sister coloring and got jealous (my competitive streak showed early). I've been home schooled since third grade, which has given me more time for the things I enjoy: drawing, reading, silversmithing, watching movies while drawing, shopping, making clay figures, and listening to music while drawing."
First Prize Winner (Youth Category)
Xinlu "Lulu" Fang, China, Age 15
Huygens Art Contest First Prize Winner: "By the Shores of Titan"
Soft pastel on red Bristol paper Xinlu (Lulu) Fang / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
Lulu says, "Prior to entering this contest, I read about what scientists think the surface of Titan will contain, and watched an update of facts that the Huygens had retrieved. I kept all those facts in mind while I sketched out a couple of ideas for a drawing. I wanted to make a plausible, yet slightly idealistic image of what the probe may find underneath Titan's surface. I enjoy working with soft pastels, but I didn't want that smudgy, cluttered effect that pictures often take, when using pastels, so I felt that it was important to really resonate a crisp and clear image of a simple scene on Titan. "
"I am a tenth grader, attending Science Academy in Mercedes, Texas. I was born in Jiangxi, P.R. China, and moved to the U.S. in 1993. I now live in McAllen, Texas with my parents. I started to draw at the age of five, and started oil painting lessons at the age of eight. I have won many awards for various art contests, such as the Pepsi "Draw Yourself a Future" art contest, First Place in the Martin Luther King Jr. art contest, and Best in Show for the Texas Birding Festival art contest. I am an active member of the Astronomy Club at school, and have participated in many star watches. I also volunteer at the local museum, helping young kids create art."
First Prize Winner (Youth Category)
Antonieta Tavares Caicedo, Venezuela, Age 11
Huygens Art Contest First Prize Winner: "Huygens Probe Arriving Early on
Titan's Night"
Wood box; white glue; silicone glue; glitter glue; silk paper; bond paper; colored pressed sponge sheets; nylon string; acrylic paint; electrical components; LEDs. Antonieta Tavares Caicedo / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
Antonieta says, "I based my work on pictures when man got to the moon. Also on my readings about Titan and Saturn, JPL web site etc. I imaged myself standing on a Titan's landscape, at early night, watching Saturn and 7 of its moons, and all of the sudden appeared Huygens probe from its sky arriving to Titan surface. I wanted to show a most realistic image that I could, of how it would look. I selected the orange-red color on Titan's surface because of the chemical composition of the atmosphere and reflected light. I did not show the clouds and smog of gases in the atmosphere, because those are more visible (I think) during the day, due mainly to the sun light incidence, and [in my picture] it is already early night, on Titan."
"I was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. I am studying Elementary School 6th. Grade (Primary School) at Altamira School, which is one of the best schools in Maracaibo. I am also enrolled in piano classes, Classical Ballet Dancing and English classes as well. I also want tell you that I won 2 prizes previously: I got an Honorable Mention in , first finalist "Design a Mission to Mars and beyond" competition at NASA Stennis Space Center on November 2003, competition in the 10 years of age and under (Art contest). Also march 2004 in the same age group, as the Honorable Mention, NSIP competition, in designing a mission surveying water and life on Mars. I got involved in theses competition thanks to Prof. Patrick Morton, our teacher of Astronomy who encourages me to do so. I am not an artist, neither studying art, but my mother likes to be involved, in artistic activities, as a hobby. I have helped her and I have learned from her few techniques in hand painting, decoration etc. I also have her support. From my father I got to be interested in Astronomy because he likes to read about and since I was a child he started to show me the sky, planets, constellations etc."
First Prize Winner (Adult Category)
Daniel Chiesa, Uruguay
Huygens Art Contest First Prize Winner: "Xanadu Joyful Day" Oil on canvas Daniel Chiesa / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
Chiesa says: "What I wanted to show is the exact moment afterwards the Huygens probe had a successfully "landing" on Titan surface, close to /on Xanadu territory, still "alive", sending data to the Cassini orbiter. On a frozen scene, cloudy and with the wonderful Saturn above all, our probe shows the proud of the willing Human Beings, that put a step forward in the Peaceful Conquest of the Cosmos."
"I
am a 48 y.o. man born in Uruguay ( South America ) from Italian parents, so I
have the Italian Citizenship as well. I live in Montevideo ( Uruguay ) back again
since 2001.Before I used to live in USA ( FL, NJ and CA) for 3 years, working
for important companies related with my profession: Electronic Technician. As
it has been happening for the last 28 years of my life, science & technology
is my world, physics and electronics are the fields where I move and which I
live from. Astronomy is one of my hobbies ( as amateur ). Therefore my learning
is purely scientific and intuitive. I have never taken any class of Art, I have
never attended any course of painting, not even informal workshops, only I have
been feeling for two years a very strong internal impulse that motivated myself
to express on a canvas my thoughts, my experiences and my message. My work is
the fruit of my intuition, therefore only when I took the brush and began to
express myself with my work, I knew what I was doing, as the Spanish saying goes, "we
make the road walking ... " I thank God among others things- to have two hands,
a brush, a canvas and a receptive spirit that permits myself to express my
message."
First Prize Winner (Adult Category)
Frank Hettick, USA
 Huygens Art Contest First Prize Winner: "Titan Touchdown" |
Hettick says: "The Titan question had been discussed at length on the International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA) member's listserver – and I was intrigued by the conversations about ‘What will the surface really be like? What color will the sky turn out to be? Could Saturn or any stars actually be visible from Titan's surface? I decided to paint "Titan Touchdown" the way I would expect the surface to look and I decided to downplay the mechanical and technical aspects of the probe itself – simply to put things into perspective that Titan is a vast, stormy, smoggy and alien land! That is why the probe is seen as rather small in my interpretation of Titan's surface."
The entire universe is the subject for Frank Hetticks' photo-realistic depictions of distant planets, moons and alien landscapes. He painted his first "outer space" art pieces in 1952 during his early high school years. More recently his scenes have graced the pages and covers of magazines, appeared on TV specials worldwide, are on display at leading galleries, and auctioned at space exploration fund raising events. Attention to the lighting and use of detail lead many viewers to believe his "other-worldly" works are fine photographs – except that the subjects Hettick paints have never been seen close-up by anyone before. His goal is to use his art to encourage the same enthusiasm for space exploration that the public had in the days before and during the Apollo missions - the days when he was growing up. Hettick is a member of International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA).
First Prize Winner (Adult Category)
Steve Munsinger, USA
 Huygens Art Contest First Prize Winner: "Titan Sunset" |
Munsinger says: "I've been doing a series of images of the planets and their moons and coincidentally had finished this image two weeks before I read about the contest. My inspiration has always been a great desire to know and to explore. Since we can't as yet go to these places the next best thing is to explore with the mind and imagination."
"I've been a resident of the State of Wyoming for the past 35 years. I attended the University of Wyoming and studied painting and drawing receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1992. Since that time I've worked for the state of Wyoming at the Wyoming State Penitentiary, as a computer literacy and computer graphics instructor. In 1994 I was a winner in the Science Fiction Illustrators of the Future contest sponsored by Bridge Publications. Since that time I've primarily done space art for Photo Researchers. Last year The American Museum of Natural History purchased a 100 inch by 70 inch print of one of my paintings for display. I've been an amateur astronomer for close to thirty- five years and enjoy comet hunting and planetary observing."
Second Prize Winners
|
 |
Middle Earth Titan Daniel Bolton, United Kingdom, Age 11 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Arrival to Titan Credit: João Calhau, Portugal, Age 16 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Descending to the Unknown, or Enjoy the View Credit: Juan Diego Colmenares, Venezuela, Age 15 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Titan Drop Credit: Michael de Avila, USA, Age 12 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Titan -- Primeval Earth Credit: Sneha Deshpande, India, Age 15 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Titan Landing Credit: Danae Hornung, USA, Age 12 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Night Sky on Titan Credit: Keric Lamb, USA, Age 10 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
The Red Moon Credit: Nick Murray, USA, Age 14 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Huygens on Titan Credit: Tomas Rossetto, Venezuela, Age 10 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Dawn of a New Dimension
Credit: Kirsten Willey, USA, Age 12 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Sunrise on Titan Credit: Courtney Wypiszynski, USA, Age 13 / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
Second Prize Winners
Adult Category
 |
Gênesis Credit: Rodrigo Belote, Brazil / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Two Billion Miles Away in the World of the Titans
Credit: Lourdes Benito, Spain / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Landing on Titan Credit: Emile Raphael Franco, France / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
The First Time EVER Than... Credit: Corinne Gosset, France / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Arrival to Titan Credit: Steven Hobbs, Australia / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Wait Til Dad Sees This! Credit: Bryce Jacobs, USA / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
First of Sirens Credit: Igor Knezevic, USA / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Grand Awakenings Credit: Michael Kruczek, USA / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
The Surface of Titan Credit: Ron Miller, USA / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
Land or Sea? Credit: Karen Pease, USA / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
 |
A Visit from an Alien World Credit: Artur Rataj, Poland / Courtesy of The Planetary Society |
[ what is this? ]