DUST OF OSIRIS by Danielle Rose Baker. A painting of the top-down view of the opened sample return capsule from the OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu. Circular sections and hexagonal bolts are seen among the rocky material in the middle ring, framed by lotus flower motifs and patterned circles with geometric ink designs drawn in an ancient Egyptian style with gold accents. A ring of painted turquoise, lapis and carnelian rectangles accented with gold surrounds the inkwork. Inspired by the decorative motifs of Tutankhamen’s treasures, and the Art Deco-tinged Egyptian Revival movement that arose from the discovery of said treasures.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Future! DUST OF OSIRIS is a #watercolor of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule, stylized after ancient Egyptian motifs.

Hoping for a future of more sample returns, and more pieces like this!

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SciArt #watercolorArt #art #painting

ASTRAL JELLYFISH by Danielle Rose Baker. A pearlescent watercolor painting on black of the jellyfish galaxy JW39 as seen by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The galaxy core is seen in golds and whites, with fainter arms punctuated by clusters of blue and pink, aglow with forming stars. This galaxy lies over 900 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices and is part of a galaxy cluster. The intense gravitational pull of its larger neighboring galaxies distorts its shape, and as it drifts through the cluster, hot plasma between galaxies has stripped star-forming gases into long tendrils and ribbons, resembling jellyfish.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #AstronomicalObject! ASTRAL JELLYFISH is a pearlescent #watercolor on black of the jellyfish #galaxy JW39 as seen by the NASA/ESA #Hubble Space Telescope.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #watercolorArt #art #painting

ALONE IN THE VASTNESS by Danielle Rose Baker. A marker illustration of astronaut Bruce McCandless II on the first untethered spacewalk as part of STS-41-B, February 1984. An astronaut in a white suit floats free above the curvature of the blue atmosphere and cloudy skies of Earth, the blackness of vacuum surrounding him and dominating the scene.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #EVA/#Spacewalk! ALONE IN THE VASTNESS is a marker #illustration of astronaut Bruce McCandless II on the first untethered spacewalk as part of STS-41-B, February 1984.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #art

FIREFLY RISING by Danielle Rose Baker A watercolor painting of the fourth Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket launch from Vandenberg SFB on 12/22/23. A slender black and white rocket rising through clouds of exhaust, colored shades of orange, rising to a dark blue sky. The entire scene is washed by a diagonal gradient from orange to blue, with only the rocket’s plume shown in bright white and shimmering gold.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Liftoff! FIREFLY RISING is a #watercolor of the #Firefly Alpha rocket on its fourth test flight on 12/22/23, launched from Vandenberg SFB, a location I’ve always wanted to see.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #watercolorArt #art #painting

WICKED BLACKBIRD by Danielle Rose Baker. An illustration in colored fine-tip markers of the SR-71 Blackbird stealth jet in flight, with a multi-colored background abstractly representing mountains and valleys below. The scribbled style of the sketch reminded me of things you’d draw on your school binder in ballpoint pen, so I added the words “SR-71” with a cool S (80s kids will know) in a stylized font.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Aeronautics! WICKED BLACKBIRD is an #illustration of the #SR71 Blackbird stealth plane. SR-71s flew over my backyard as a kid on a flight path out of Beale AFB. I finally saw one in person last December!

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt

SILENT SEAS by Danielle Rose Baker. A square watercolor painting of an Apollo command and service module orbits against the mottled surface of the Moon, shown in faint grays and greens, with a sliver of dark space in the upper right corner. Within the capsule, a solitary astronaut awaits the return of his crewmates from the surface.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #CrewCapsule! SILENT SEAS is a #watercolor of the #Apollo command module orbiting the #Moon, a solitary astronaut awaiting the return of his crewmates from the surface.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #watercolorArt #art #painting

BOREAS DANCES ON TABLE ROCKS by Danielle Rose Baker. A painting on black paper with roughly finished edges of the aurora borealis as seen over Upper and Lower Table Rocks in southern Oregon near White City. The left side shows a dimly illuminated rock formation with steep sides and a very flat top, over which a crescent moon hangs low. On the right is a less defined rock formation with a more gradual profile on the sides and a broad top. The sky is painted in streamers of pinks and purples, with a green glow showing on the lower right side of the sky. Many shimmering paint colors are used to add to the effect.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Aurora! BOREAS DANCES ON TABLE ROCKS is an #watercolor of our special aurora show on May 10, captured with the Table Rocks in the Rogue Valley, Oregon.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #watercolorArt #art #painting

HOLIDAY SNAPS by Danielle Rose Baker. A loosely sketched illustration of Mars rover Curiosity against a background of multi-colored hills and slopes, based on an actual selfie that actual Curiosity took on Mars. This is done in several colors of fine-point markers, combining brighter colors to get a more nuanced, subdued color palette. The title is from Monty Python, as the image reflects those overly stiff photos of oneself taken on holiday. Such snaps are then inflicted on your loved ones after family dinners, usually by the slide carousel-full.

REDUX: Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #RoboticExplorer! HOLIDAY SNAPS is an #illustration of rover Curiosity against the slopes and peaks of #Mars. (I adore the rover selfies.) Thanks @elakdawalla.bsky.social for the swift correction! 😅

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #art

FIRST FLIGHT by Danielle Rose Baker. A watercolor painting of the CFT-1 launch and inaugural test (should we call it only test? Too soon?) of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, carrying two astronauts to the International Space Station on an Atlas rocket. The rocket rises past wispy clouds on the left side, with a view of the ISS in space in the top right corner. The blue sky fades to a mottled blue-purple color on the right, representing the depths of space.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #SpaceStation! FIRST FLIGHT is a #watercolor of the CFT-1 test of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, heading towards the International Space Station in June 2024.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #watercolorArt #art #painting

MOONS OF MY CHILDHOOD by Danielle Rose Baker. A watercolor painting of four moons of Jupiter: Io, Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa, as imaged by the Voyager probes. Io (top left) is seen in yellows and oranges, showing a heavily altered surface from massive volcanic activity. Ganymede (top right) is seen in shades of gray and brown, with large light-colored cracks and impact ejecta. Callisto (bottom left) shows massive cratering, and is seen in dark grays and greens. Europa (bottom right) is seen in pastel greens and blues, with rust-colored networks of cracks and seams across the surface.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #CarlSagan/#COSMOS! I spent countless hours drawing images from the COSMOS book as a kid. MOONS OF MY CHILDHOOD is a #watercolor of the main Jovian moons: Io, Ganymede, Callisto and #Europa.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #art #painting

ORION’S PERSPECTIVE by Danielle Rose Baker. A mixed-media illustration in watercolor and ink of the NASA Orion capsule in lunar orbit, looking back on a gibbous Moon and Earth. The capsule is seen with the metal lit in shades of blue and purple, with a white painted bottom. A large red NASA worm logo dominates the bottom section of the capsule. The NASA meatball logo and an American flag are seen higher up on the capsule. The blackness of space is represented by many dense multi-colored ink lines, forming a dark scratch-textured background.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Artemis! ORION’S PERSPECTIVE is a #marker and watercolor #illustration of the Orion capsule with Earth and the #Moon in the background.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #watercolorArt #art

HAÍFOSS WATERFALL, ICELAND by Danielle Rose Baker. A watercolor painting of a waterfall and river landscape in Iceland, seen against multi-layered cliffs capped by dark lava plains, some overgrown by green plants. The water is icy blue and flows towards distant mountains. A cloudy evening sky is seen in moody purples and yellows.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Earth! HAÍFOSS WATERFALL, ICELAND is a #watercolor landscape (my first detailed landscape) of #Iceland, an otherworldly place on Earth used by space artists as a terrestrial analog for… other worlds.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SciArt #art #painting #geology

DIANA PIERCES THE AZURE SKY by Danielle Rose Baker. An ink illustration of a Saturn V rocket and launch tower during the launch of Apollo IV. The top two-thirds is a roiling sky of clouds rendered in blue, dark teal and navy inks, some with shimmering effects. Outlined against this, the launch tower is seen in shades of brown-orange. The rocket is bathed in warm light and yellow-tinged exhaust expands below, with dark shapes outlining the base of the launch pad.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #History! DIANA PIERCES THE AZURE SKY is a #watercolor tribute to Apollo 4, the first successful flight of the Saturn V rocket! 🚀

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #watercolorArt #art #painting #Space #rockets #apollo #saturnv

DIANA by Danielle Rose Baker. A watercolor painting in a sunset gradient from dark blues to deep oranges, with a crescent moon centered in the frame. The Moon has slight coloring from the sunset colors, but is muted in tone and features some inked craters along the terminator.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Satellite! DIANA is a #watercolor of my favorite satellite the #Moon. 🌙

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #watercolorArt #art #painting #Space

FLOATING DRAGON by Danielle Rose Baker. A watercolor painting on square paper with rough edges of a small white conical spacecraft floating in space. Behind it, one sees the curvature of the Earth, shrouded in clouds, a thin bright blue band of atmosphere, and the blackness of space. The front hatch door is open as the capsule approaches an unseen docking port.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Orbit! FLOATING DRAGON is a #watercolor of the Dragon capsule orbiting the Earth, preparing to dock with the International Space Station.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #art #painting #Space

A watercolor on gray toned paper of the evening sky, scant clouds lit faintly with sunset, looking west across the Rogue Valley in southern Oregon. A range of mountains crosses the bottom of the scene. High above is a faint comet with a long tail stretching towards the upper left corner. A sprinkling of stars appear in the deepening sky.

A watercolor on gray toned paper of the evening sky, scant clouds lit faintly with sunset, looking west across the Rogue Valley in southern Oregon. A range of mountains crosses the bottom of the scene. High above is a faint comet with a long tail stretching towards the upper left corner. A sprinkling of stars appear in the deepening sky. A paintbrush and white pen rest on a desk below the painting.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is Celestial Event! This is a #watercolor of Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, looking west across the Rogue Valley. So glad we got to see its beautiful long tail 💫

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #art #painting #Space #comettsuchinshanatlas

EUCLID’S HORSE by Danielle Rose Baker. A watercolor painting of the Horsehead Nebula as seen by the ESA Euclid Telescope. The upper half is seen in shades of purple, navy and black, with a horse-head shape seen in profile in shades of orange and red, fading into nebulous clouds on the bottom half of the piece. Pearlescent clouds and stars dot the scene.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Telescope! EUCLID’S HORSE is a #watercolor based on the first color image taken of the Horsehead Nebula by the ESA Euclid Telescope.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SciArt #art #painting #Space

COLORS OF GRAY by Danielle Rose Baker. A watercolor painting of Apollo astronaut Harrison Schmitt in EVA suit using a long scientific instrument to measure soil properties on the lunar surface. Another instrument in the foreground shows strips of color against which to measure the color seen on the surface. Gray shadowed rocks are scattered throughout the scene.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Astronaut/#Cosmonaut ! COLORS OF GRAY is a #watercolor of Harrison (Jack) Schmitt exploring the #Moon, the only geologist (so far!!) to do field work on the lunar surface.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SciArt #art #painting #Space #Apollo #geology

WE STILL LOVE YOU by Danielle Rose Baker. A watercolor painting of the dwarf planet Pluto, as imaged by the New Horizons spacecraft in 2015. The surface is seen in enhanced color, showing warm tans, reddish-browns and purple-grays, dotted with craters and ridges. A large heart-shaped feature dominates the lower right quadrant of the planet. The background is rendered in blues and purples.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Planet! WE STILL LOVE YOU is near and dear to my heart, a #watercolor of Pluto as seen by New Horizons.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04 #SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #SciArt #watercolorArt #art #painting #Space

ORION ILLUMINATED by Danielle Rose Baker. A pearlescent watercolor painting on black of the star-forming regions in the Orion Nebula, as seen by the NIRCam instrument of the James Webb Space Telescope on September 11, 2022. The image shows the Orion Bar, a dense wall of dust and gas containing a bright star, θ2 Orionis A. Complex structures are revealed in wavelengths of infrared radiation from ionized and molecular gases, dust, and scattered starlight.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Wavelength! ORION ILLUMINATED was my first #JWST #watercolor, revealing the Star-forming regions of the Orion Nebula, seen in infrared wavelengths.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04
#SpaceArt #SciArt #art #painting #Space

MIDNIGHT ZEPHYR by Danielle Rose Baker. A pearlescent watercolor painting on black, featuring the shuttle Atlantis about to touch down at Kennedy Space Center’s Runway 15 for the last time on July 21, 2011. The spacecraft is dramatically lit from the right, and appears mostly in silhouette, trailing ribbons of steam and smoke from the wings and rear of the craft. This surreal scene brought the Space Shuttle Program to a close after thirty years.

MIDNIGHT ZEPHYR by Danielle Rose Baker. A pearlescent watercolor painting on black, featuring the shuttle Atlantis about to touch down at Kennedy Space Center’s Runway 15 for the last time on July 21, 2011. The spacecraft is dramatically lit from the right, and appears mostly in silhouette, trailing ribbons of steam and smoke from the wings and rear of the craft. This surreal scene brought the Space Shuttle Program to a close after thirty years.

I’m combining two #SpacetoberChallenge prompts: Re-entry/Landing and Space Center! MIDNIGHT ZEPHYR, 10x13”, pearlescent #watercolor on black. The surreal final landing of shuttle Atlantis on July 21, 2011.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04
#SpaceArt #SciArt #art #painting #Space #SpaceShuttle #STS135

MINERAL MOON by Danielle Rose Baker. A square watercolor painting, featuring a close up of the lunar surface with craters and seas in greens, purples, blues and oranges. This enhanced color image shows subtle differences in chemical composition and geology, highlighting subsequent volcanic flows and mineral concentrations that might otherwise evade the eye.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #Moon! I love enhanced colored images that bring out the #geology and chemical content more, like my MINERAL MOON #watercolor from last year.

#Spacetober #SpacetoberChallenge_04
#SpaceArt #SpaceArtist #AstroArt #SciArt #watercolorArt #art #painting #Space

DAWN OF A NEW ERA by Danielle Rose Baker. A watercolor painting of the second integrated launch of the SpaceX Starship and Falcon Super Heavy rocket on November 18, 2023. The rocket rises through a dawn-tinged sky from rose and peach exhaust, surrounded by a metallic Art Nouveau-esque border highlighted with ink. The background washes from blue at top to orange-pink at bottom.

Today’s #SpacetoberChallenge is #LaunchVehicle! Here’s the biggest and baddest rocket, #SpaceX Super Heavy and Starship? DAWN OF A NEW ERA, watercolor and ink, featuring the IFT-2 launch from last year.

#SpacetoberChallenge_04
#SpaceArt #SciArt #watercolor #Starship #art #painting #Space