I just wanted to tell you about September’s Papergang Box by OhhDeer – a subscription service for stationery lovers! I live for space themed goodies and so this box seemed like it was made for me – plus I got it for the tidy price of £7 as it was my first box! Bargain!
Counting Stars: Space Lates at the National Space Centre
I’ve visited the National Space Centre a few times for a Starry Night Ball and general entry so it was amazing to get the chance to see the centre at night! I made sure to do my make-up all space-like and of course, threw on my space jacket for the occasion! I couldn’t wait to explore!
A Geek’s Guide: How to Write a Seriously Epic Sci-Fi Story
We all know that there are a LOT of sci-fi stories out there. I mean, there are whole sections of book shops dedicated to the genre. Speaking of which, I now sponsor one! I pledged to help my local BookShop’s expansion and they let me brand their sci-fi section. In celebration, I decided to explore what makes a good sci-fi story?
To answer this question, I took 2 sample texts, from “Amy’s Storys” (sic) written by 8-year-old me, to analyse as core texts. It’s as good a starting point as any…
Intergalactic Exploration: A trip to the National Space Centre
Last weekend, my other half and I went to the National Space Centre! It was super fun and informative – definitely worth at least one trip if you want to broaden your mind and get some new information about our universe! I thought I’d write a National Space Centre Review as it was amazing and I would go again for sure. We got an annual pass for the price of one ticket (!) so we plan to go again with friends.
Intergalactic
We had a ticket to see a planetarium show which was held in the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium. You can choose from a look at the universe as a whole or stories behind some of our constellations. The lady who presented the show was very enthusiastic and I loved hearing more about the Greek mythology related to the constellations.
Some things I learned from the planetarium exhibit:
- Some space objects are named M followed by a number because Charles Messier just labelled things he found with his initial and a number in the order he found them – how very imaginative!
- We can’t map all the galaxies because our own galaxy blocks the half of our view.
- The big and little dipper constellations are named for a Greek legend of a mother and son who were turned into bears and thrown into space!
Interactive
I really liked how they relayed the information in the centre to you. It wasn’t centred around children only which it can often be at science museums, it was perfect for us too. The level of interactivity was so high! There were whole areas where you could test your skills as an astronaut, a simulation of a moon landing and you could lose hours watching all the videos and playing the mini-games.
They had some real rockets in the eating area with a multi-layer mezzanine so you could see them from top to bottom. That was certainly a highlight of the day!
Information
There were SO many facts in there that you’d have to visit a few times to really take it all in! There were whole areas dedicated to rockets, sci-fi, the life of astronauts. So many planetary facts and the entire history of space exploration across the world. Here are just a few things I learned along the way:
- The first ever Sci-Fi movie was French and called “La Voyage Dans le Lune”. It involved scientists that looked more like wizards.
- What it’s like to wash your hair in space. (You gather a very small amount of water droplets as best you can and pull them through your hair.)
- Saturn if very small (or we had a huge bath) would float in water
Inspiration
I wanted to buy EVERYTHING in the onsite shop but as it’s my birthday coming up I wasn’t allowed! In the end, I bought some “astronaut” food which I will try out soon. Once my birthday is over I am definitely going to go back for more!
I am constantly searching for inspiration for my space themed stuff. The National Space Centre was definitely full of that- for both my blog and artwork. I discovered that I really love how space exploration changed throughout history and the links between the old and new methods. The history of the constellations was definitely a highlight for me!
Anytime I feel spaced out (pun intended), I am going to revisit and fuel my thoughts!
13 Out-of-this-World Space themed gifts on my Birthday wish list!
As it’s my birthday soon I thought I’d post a Space themed gifts wish-list of mine… Just some tiny hints in case anyone (or a certain someone) need some ideas! I hope it also inspires you and gives you an insight into the kind of things you can find if you’re looking for space themed stuff!
1. Starry Night Dress by Cakes with Faces
This is such a cute little dress! I am not into astrology but the science of stars, and constellation themed items I adore! It’s amazing just how much stuff is out there (in the material and the metaphysical sense).
2. Glitter Star Hair Clips by Crown and Glory
I feel like these in gunmetal or silver would look great now my hair’s gone purple. I just want to adorn it with sparkle! Short of covering myself in glitter, Crown and Glory have some amazing starry accessories… including a STUNNING dip-dyed veil that I MUST have for when I get married. Not that I’m even engaged yet…
3. Women In Science by Rachel Ignotofsky
Full title, Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World, looks absolutely stunning and really interesting! I went ahead and bought this one (this is the problem with making wishlists of affordable, beautiful items!) It is incredibly illustrated and I love the writing style.
4. Atom & Planet Necklace by Eclectic Eccentricity
As some may know, I wear the hell out of the necklace from my previous Space Princess gift guide. EE’s whole range is stunning and space-based and I look at them longingly every lunch break in the office! These colours are just perfect.
5. SpaceShip Bag by SkinnyDip
I added this bag to my wishlist after seeing it in Brighton… until I realised it was from LAST SEASON! *shock horror* Rather than miss out my friend got it for me and sent it in the post. (PaperBag Blog- thank you!) It helps to know lovely people! So… this is on here to show it off really (Sorry, not sorry) and give a shout-out to SkinnyDip for designing something so cool.
6. Fun Science by Charlie McDonnell
Full title “Fun Science: A Guide to Life, the Universe and why Science is so Awesome” by Charlie McDonnell has sparked my interest as it discusses everything from the largest things comprehensible to humans right down to the smallest atoms. Charlie (Charlieissocoollike) began producing science related videos on YouTube and I followed him for many years – I really want to support his venture as an author!
7. 3D Star Globe by Luckies
A 3D map of the night sky would both informative and beautiful hanging from my ceiling. Alternatively, an actual constellation globe with a transparent base would also be awesome on my office desk… but a little out of my budget!
8. Star Stud Earrings by Stray Jewellery
I am always on the outlook for earrings that can tie in with my outfits. I’ve been going for a lot of galaxy-inspired and space themed stuff recently. Even if I have to dress like your average person (boo) for work or an event, I still like to set it off with something astronomical!
9. Planetarium Paperweight by Present Indicative
I know what you’re probably thinking, it’s a bit odd… But it’s REALLY cool and I feel like I could look at it for ages. I first saw it in the Stedelijk Museum Shop in Amsterdam but it was closing and they rushed me out of the shop. I am kinda glad I did though because it’s now introduced me to a whole new website that has cool nerdy gifts! Their whole astronomy section is AWESOME.
10. Cat in Space Mug by CyberDog
I thought to myself that if I never saw another “themed” mug ever again, it would be too soon! But then, I saw this one. Space AND cats? Yeah, go on then.
11. Galaxy Skater Dress by Glitterbomb
This has been on my wish list for aaaages. I’m absolutely in love with it – the colours are amazing (and I already have the necklace!)
12. Space themed Swirl Coloured Pencils
I added these in even though I bought them for myself. I’ve been told I don’t need any more stationery items BUT the leads are coloured to match the nebulas primary colours SO… had to be done. The pencils came from a little boutique in Amsterdam but you could get them here.
And to round it all off, what would an astronomy lover be without an awesome telescope?
Until Next Time,
Amy
International Astronomy Day: Why I love Space, the Universe and Everything
As it’s International Astronomy Day today (29th April), I decided to get myself back on track with a post about why I chose this subject in the first place. I realise I haven’t really done any astronomy related posts but it’s because I felt I didn’t know enough / it would be a lot of tertiary research. Then I realised why my real passion for the subject and the theme really shines through!
So here is a little insight into the why I love Space, the Universe and everything space themed.
It reminds us how small we are but also how awesome we are
If you go to any planetarium you will often get an introduction showing just how vast we have discovered our universe to be. As humans, we need everything to be a scale/comparison to fathom the size of an object and even when it’s spoon fed to us sometimes it’s just incomprehensible. That can be pretty daunting, but I take comfort in it sometimes.
It makes for some of the best photographs
It’d be great to get out into the middle of nowhere and take some long exposures to see what hidden gems we can pick up! I absolutely love some of the photographs. Good people to follow for this sort of stuff are The Hubble Scope,, Exogalaxies and JoshKirkley to name but a few!
My good friend Geoffrey, who takes a lot of my featured astrophotography, has some perfect pictures in his portfolio! Mostly he focuses on things a little closer to home, but they’re all amazing!
It’s one of the most interesting science subjects
One of the best things about astronomy is that there is always new information to explore, something disproving our original theories and the whole time we are finding out more about our universe. Some of my favourite places to visit are Science Museums. They’re often aimed at kids but they also hold a wealth of information for adults too. One of my dreams is to visit the Kennedy Space Centre!
Everything Galaxy Patterned is absolutely perfect
I absolutely adore galaxy patterned fashion and accessories. I’ve loved it for a long time but now I’m always on the look-out. I previously published my Space Princess Gift Guide and nearer to my birthday I will post my space themed gift wishlist.
My Latest Purchase ^_^
It helps with Escapism
There’s so much going on in the world: with the doomsday clock reaching the closest to midnight it’s been since 1960, scientific research being put on the back-burner and other baffling political decisions being made everywhere it’s good to just escape once in a while. Looking out into the void and remembering what could be out there makes all of the small issues seem even smaller. It definitely helps you to clear your mind!
Some of the best stories and franchises are based on it
A scientist summoned to speak to aliens. A galactic empire at war with itself. A dystopian future with an astral escape route. Space offers us so many directions a writer/director/producer can go with their science fiction. It’s my favourite genre.
I could go on forever about all the games, books, franchises, films, toys and TV programs that are inspired by the great unknown! But there are way too many to mention. In the future, I aim to do a few posts introducing some of my favourites!
Space themed food is the tastiest (and definitely the most colourful!)
I am always on the look-out for new recipes that I can adapt into a spacey theme. My galaxy cheesecake was a super success and soon I plan to make another space recipe! I am always finding inspiration for this increasingly popular theme for baking!
It inspires beautiful Designs
Satin and Tat (who I write blog posts for) have produced 2 invite designs that are perfect for space themed weddings. This is the kind of thing that is exactly up my street design wise; I mean come on, I designed my entire blog around it!
It’s beautiful, awe-inspiring and my favourite place to get inspiration. I am looking forward to the day that I can produce some artwork good enough to show off, but I am working on some galaxy ink-works (watch this space!)
There could be others like us out there
New Scientist Magazine confirms that there is huge potential for life on one of Saturn’s moons, after finding the perfect balance of gases and needed for a specific microorganism to thrive! That’s super exciting! There’s potential for life that could outlive us by hundreds of thousands of years!
In a little older news, the awesome guys and gals at NASA found a whole new solar system with 7 earth-size planets. We have literally no idea how much potential there is for not only life but sentient beings like us living 40 light years away.
I can’t wait to see what else they can uncover about these mysterious planets! Let’s hope whatever they find there is better at looking after their own planets than we are of ours…
Happy International Astronomy Day!
Hope you all have an awesome day, wherever you are in the ether! I might have to celebrate with cake…
Amy