Astronomy goes pop!
Did you know space is not just pretty pictures, but important data for understanding our place in space? Thinking about our place in space helps us on Earth to farm and deal with bushfires while, at the same time, we look for life on other worlds.
Space and space research is not just about looking outwards and thinking about where we are going – to the Moon, Mars, to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn – but also about looking down to Earth; it is about connectivity, observations and helping on Earth. We are in a new great era of space exploration, with humans soon returning to the Moon. We have landed on asteroids and returned samples to Earth, and will even send missions to look for life in our Solar System – and beyond. However, this rapid growth has fuelled a new technological revolution that is already benefitting and changing the way we live on Earth. It has given us the ability to connect and see distant worlds up close, and yet on our own planet, connect us even if the distances may be large. From the majesty of a rocket launch, to seeing a star billions of light-years away, the Universe has a unique way to inspire and inform. These narratives are interwoven and show what space is – the exploration of new worlds, as well as our own – which can be investigated in detail in the future astronomy-based “Life in Space” pop-up book! — Dr Brad Tucker (Astrophysicist and Cosmologist, Senior Lecturer at the ANU College of Science)
Stay tuned for a quote from the artist!
Meet the scientist: Dr Brad Tucker
Brad Tucker is an Astrophysicist/Cosmologist. Brad received Bachelor’s degrees in Physics, Philosophy, and Theology from the University of Notre Dame and a PhD in Astrophysics and Cosmology from Mt. Stromlo Observatory at the ANU. He’s leading programs using the NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope and TESS to understand why and how stars blow up. He’s also building a network of ultraviolet telescopes in the upper atmosphere. a search to find Planet 9, as well as a new mission to capture and mine an asteroid. Brad frequently gives talks to school groups and the general public about Astronomy and chatting with the media about Astronomy news and events. Brad has also developed a series of Astronomy coins with the Australian Mint and consulted on science fiction movies. He is currently in the process of writing his first book and an online course.
The ULTRA-PERCEPTION project reimagines the book as a traditional medium, physical object and traditional knowledge broker, by amplifying it into an interactive, technologically-empowered tool for intergenerational discovery and learning. Supported by KINETIC – a funding scheme for “for game-changing new ideas” piloted in 2023 by ANU Physics, the ANU MakerSpace, Wizer and Compton School – we create a prototype of what will hopefully become a series of research-based pop-up books that are accompanied by an augmented reality app. Five of our initial six pop-up spreads, which can later be rolled out into individual books, are dedicated to specific research themes ranging from the research field of Environmental Humanities to Synthetic Biology. By hovering a prototype app, created by the Canberra animation company Eye Candy, over these spreads, the science-based pop-up pages come to life – through art and technology, awe and wonder. A new science experience!
