Ceridwen Dovey just published a Practice Insight paper about this in the Journal of Science Communication. In it, she showcases NASA’s creative new Exoplanet Travel Bureau and its impressive new poster campaign. This national campaign, which got its start in 2015, does this by transforming exoplanets from theoretical ideas into alluring new worlds that inspire the public’s creativity and curiosity. By offering retro-style posters, virtual guided tours, and even coloring books, NASA invites people to envision distant worlds as potential tourist hotspots.
At the helm of this creative initiative was Joby Harris, a visual strategist with a background in film and music. As the new chief of NASA’s creative team, Apollo’s leadership dealt with unprecedented obstacles. They did this to address the really enthralling challenge of visualizing exoplanets and representing these hostile, alien environments that aren’t conducive to human life. Even with these challenges, the creative team was able to work together to create incredibly immersive visuals that capture the spirit of space exploration and discovery.
The Evolution of an Idea
The Exoplanet Travel Bureau rolls out a mesmerizing campaign, based on classic U.S. national park posters. These mythical patterns positively embodied the freewheeling ethos of the great outdoors! That unique history allowed the creative team to set up an attitude toward exoplanets focused on exploration and discovery. The nostalgic design elements resonate with a sense of adventure that harkens back to simpler times, making the idea of visiting alien worlds feel more tangible.
In her award-winning conceptual paper, “Art and the Science of Science Communication,” Dovey advocates for the involvement of both artists and scientists in this work. She makes the case that this collaboration is essential for turning scientific information into understandable stories. By engaging artists in the process, scientists can bridge the gap between abstract concepts and vivid imagery, thereby making science more accessible to the public.
After all, as Dovey’s study points out, scientists have to make an imaginative leap when creating descriptions of exoplanets. Their hands are tied with limited data available to them. For one, they interpret grainy photos in which exoplanets appear as mere pin-pricks circling far-away suns. The Exoplanet Travel Bureau’s #OurFutureIsOutThere campaign nails that hurdle on the head. It produces artist’s impressions, which are colorful, fanciful images that allow everyone to emotionally grasp what these far away worlds are like.
Highlighting Unique Destinations
Notable exoplanets on the poster campaign, including Kepler-16b and 51 Pegasi b. Specifically, Kepler-16b, a gas giant orbiting two suns, would be an odd and wonderful world for tourists. Still, its absence of pack ice creates hurdles for human exploration. This self-defeating paradox promises an enticing vacation spot while conceding its unwelcoming reality and captures the delight of interstellar travel.
Additionally, PSO J318.5-22, a rogue planet discovered in October 2013 through direct imaging, adds to the allure of this cosmic journey. As a free-floating planet, not bound to any star, it’s the most exciting exploration frontier. The visuals created by Harris and his team encapsulate these unique characteristics, inviting viewers to dream of what it might be like to wander through alien landscapes.
The posters aim not only to inform but to evoke the romance associated with visiting exoplanets and encountering their exotic features. They challenge the public to imagine environments teeming with amazing things. This magical alchemy turns untranslatable scientific data into colorful, fantastical expeditionary collages.
Engaging the Public’s Imagination
NASA’s Exoplanet Travel Bureau campaign to generate excitement and interest around exoplanets inspires the public to imagine these far-off places are thrilling potential tourist hotspots. By merging art with science, NASA has taken significant steps toward making distant worlds more approachable and engaging for the general public.
Dovey’s research underscores just how essential art is to the practice of effective science communication. She is convinced that, when artists and scientists work together, they can achieve an explosive potential. Their partnership can help demystify exciting subjects, like the booming field of exoplanet exploration, to the public. The partnership transforms the way we approach exoplanets. Instead of thinking of them only as scientific oddities, we think of them almost instantly as potential future destinations for explorers.
Visuals from the campaign are gorgeous, and stories are creative and enchanting. It provides virtual guided tours that plunge people even further into the experience. Whether you’re journeying to binary stars or finding new ways to communicate with exoplanets, these tours are just the beginning. Though these worlds are distant, they light the path ahead. It’s human curiosity and creativity that will really carry us the great distances between the stars.