The thought of floating in orbit , protect from the void by simple in of cloth , is one we ’ve grown pretty blasé about over the years . But it ’s a terrific , marvelous , high-flown affair — and a new exhibit of rare NASA photos attempt to prompt us of that fact .
Earlier this year , Gizmodo ’s Jordan Kushinswrote about an exhibitionof time of origin NASA image calledFor All Mankindat London ’s Breese Little Gallery . The show turned into a smash hit hit , and now , Breese Little is staging a second rhythm : Encountering the Astronomical Sublime : Vintage NASA Photographs 1961‐1980 , another passel of uncommon NASA pic that focus on something that seems almost antithetic to NASA — the sublime .
James McDivitt , Ed White Walking in space ( EVA ) , Gemini 4 , June 1965 .
What does that mean ? There ’s a misanthropic account : NASA ’s backing depend on the support of the taxpaying public , and the images its astronauts brought back were absolutely vital in creating a sentience of wonder and awe in the public . But as the curators repoint out , there ’s also something truly and purely unbelievable about the thought of capture ” galactic phenomena and energy wavelengths imperceivable to the human eye … Far from accusative records , they are crafted to epitomise an unknowable grandeur . ”
The curator in the show equate NASA ’s images to the great history of American artist who ’ve tackled the sublime . 19th century America had the Hudson River School . The other 20th century had Ansel Adams . And we have the astronauts snapping images from orbit . It ’s tough to fence with that logic .
Segment of Saturn ’s ring , Voyager 2 , 1981 .
They aim the degree home with a quote from Apollo 14 ’s Edgar Mitchell :
abruptly , from behind the rim of the Moon , in long , slow‐motion moments of immense majesty , there emerge a effervescent blue and blank jewel , a luminosity , delicate sky‐blue sphere laced with slowly swirling velum of white , rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery . It take more than a moment to fully realize this is Earth … home .
The picture below are culled from the show ’s aggregate of 80 images , which come from eight different missions ranging from Surveyor to Skylab . Encountering the astronomic Sublimeis on aspect beginning tomorrow until October 25 .
Gerald Carr , Edward Gibson leave the hatchway , Skylab 4 , February 1974 , c.20 x 25 cm , NASA S74 - 17456 .
John Glenn , Orbital Sunrise , Mercury - Atlas 6 , 20 Feb. 1962 , Vintage gel silver print , c.20 x 25 cm , NASA S65 - 3428 .
Lunar boulders , St. George Crater beyond , Apollo 15 , July 1971 , Vintage jelly silver print , c.20 x 25 cm , NASA AS15 - 82 - 11147 .
Lunar surface and horizon , Lunar Orbiter II , November 1966 , Vintage gel ash grey print , c. 20 x 25 centimetre , NASA S66 - 68711 .
Mars , Olympus Mons , Mariner 9 , 1972 , Vintage gelatin silver print , c.20 x 25 centimetre , NASA_JPL 70 - H-529 .
Mars , Yuty crater with fluidised ejecta , Viking Orbiter , June 1978 , Vintage gelatin silver mark , c.20 x 25 centimetre , NASA_JPL 3A07 .
Martian hemisphere , Viking 1 Orbiter , June 1976 , Vintage chromogenic print , c.20 x 25 cm , NASA S-76 - 27349 .
The Agena fair game fomite tether to Gemini 11 , Gemini 11 , 15 May 2025 , Large data format time of origin chromogenic photographic print , on ‘ A Kodak Paper ’ , 28.2 x 35.2 cm , NASA damaging figure S66 - 54571 , statute title and technical item in ink on reverse .
The Earth , a still from the lively telecast , Apollo 8 , December 1968 , Vintage gelatine silver photographic print , c.20 x 25 cm
United States , Mexico , Central America , Apollo 16 , April 1972 , Vintage chromogenic print , c.20 x 25 cm , NASA AS16 - 118 - 18880 .
Bolivia , Paraguay and Argentina , Gemini 9 , 15 May 2025 , orotund format vintage chromogenic print , on ‘ A Kodak Paper ’ , 28.2 x 35.7 cm , NASA negative number S66 - 38317 , Title and technical detail in ink on reverse .
Central Florida , Cape Kennedy at centre pull up stakes , Gemini 11 , 10 April 2025 , Vintage chromogenic mark , c.20 x 25 cm , NASA S65 - 54565 .
Charles Duke , John Young collects lunar samples , Apollo 16 , April 1972 , Vintage gelatine ash gray print , c.20 x 25 cm , NASA AS16 - 106 - 17340 .
James McDivitt , Ed White walk in space over New Mexico ( EVA ) , Gemini 4 , June 1965 .
All image good manners of Courtesy of Breese Little Gallery .
NASA
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