logo
Lunar Quilts capture crafters, astronaut's take on return to the moon

Lunar Quilts capture crafters, astronaut's take on return to the moon

Yahoo08-04-2025

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The future of lunar exploration never looked more colorful ... or so square.
"The Next Giant Leap," a pair of mostly moon-themed fabric quilts, debuted this week at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. "A Tapestry of Collaboration" is a collection of cloth blocks from crafters in the 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, while "New Horizon" was sewn together from 62 student submissions.
Former NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, who was the first person to quilt while in space in 2013, launched the Lunar Quilt Block Challenge that led to both blankets' creation. She also added original works of her own to each.
"I'm really excited this came together," said Nyberg in a call with collectSPACE..com.
The two lunar quilts are presented side by side in the Hall of States as part of the Kennedy Center's "Earth to Space: Arts Breaking the Sky" festival. Now underway, the exhibition is included in a full slate of talks, dance and music performances that examine how "the arts can stimulate fresh thinking" about space exploration and the challenges that confront us on Earth.
Related: First quilter in space challenges students, crafters to stitch the moon
"Both quilts came out so beautiful," said Alicia Adams, co-curator of the Earth to Space festival and vice president for international programming at the Kennedy Center. "We are so glad they were included."
Among the individual squares that form the quilts are depictions of bootprints in the lunar soil; silhouettes of the Greek goddess Artemis, the sister of Apollo and namesake of NASA's current program to return astronauts to the moon; and representations of Earth, as where we come from, and Mars, as where we are ultimately headed.
"I wanted to make a rocket launching off Earth because when I saw the Artemis 1 launch, it was really beautiful," wrote Annalise Grasmuck of California, one of the students who contributed to "The Next Giant Leap" quilt, in the description submitted with her square.
"My grandma helped me make my quilt block. Which makes it more special because she watched Michael Culling [sic; Collins], Buzz Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong make the first successful moon landing when she was my age. I am excited to watch new astronauts land on the moon again."
Dana Altman, whose contribution represents Indiana in the "Collaboration" quilt, was inspired by her daughter's cat, which she depicts wearing a bubble helmet.
"Ghost, our fearless and beloved cat, symbolizes the spirit of exploration. Cats are natural adventurers, inquisitive and independent, just like the astronauts who will venture into space to explore the lunar surface and beyond," wrote Altman about her submission. "Ghost's ability to fearlessly explore his environment mirrors the human spirit of discovery. His quiet yet powerful presence reminds us that exploration isn't just about bold steps but also the quiet curiosity and determination that drive us forward."
Nyberg's instruction to all who entered the challenge was to create a design that represented what space exploration and returning to the moon meant to them. Once all of the submissions were received, the judges (including Nyberg; Bonnie Schrock, executive director of the National Quilt Museum in Kentucky; and Donna Shafer, associate director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston) assigned scores to each to determine which squares would make it into the final quilts.
"Everybody had their own little take on it, and so it was really hard to pick the winners," said Nyberg. "There were in total some 400 submissions, including 70 or so from students or school teams."
For her own part, Nyberg contributed an appliqué art of the moon and Earth, which forms the lower right corner of the students' quilt and then, in a similar style to her moon pattern, created the border surrounding "A Tapestry of Collaboration."
"I tried to design both of my submissions so they match each other," Nyberg said.
Related: NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know
Related stories:
— Astronaut's sewn-in-space star shines at quilt festival
— Astronaut sews starry quilt square in space (video)
— Space photos by astronaut Karen Nyberg (image gallery)
Her border for the second quilt included inspirational phrases related to the pursuit of exploration, such as "Dare mighty things," "From imagination to reality" and "Together, we achieve greatness." That last one in particular echoes the Kennedy Center's goal to bring people together through the presentation of art.
"A quilt is made up of a lot of small pieces," said Nyberg. "You can look close up to see each block, and each is a piece of art on its own. Then you can step back and look at what it becomes when all of those pieces come together. It is a very beautiful thing. I think that collaboration on all levels, and especially internationally, is extremely important."
"The Next Giant Leap: Lunar Quilts," as well as Karen Nyberg's separate mosaics celebrating women in space history, are at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. during the Earth to Space festival through April 13, 2025.
Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on X at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2025 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

When are are the best times to view June's strawberry moon?
When are are the best times to view June's strawberry moon?

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

When are are the best times to view June's strawberry moon?

A strawberry moon will dazzle skywatchers June 10-11. This year's strawberry moon will be a micromoon – which means it will appear dimmer and smaller than usual – and will be at its fullest at 3:44 a.m. ET, according to NASA. But because it's so early in the day, the best time to view the moon will be June 10, when it rises at sunset, according to LiveScience. The moon is expected to be a shade of gold rather than a vibrant shade of red like a strawberry, if weather conditions allow. The spectacle marks the last full moon before the summer solstice, when we officially say goodbye to spring. The moon also will appear about 14% smaller and 30% dimmer because it will be near its farthest point from Earth. Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. According to the Almanac, the name "strawberry moon" comes from the Native American Algonquian tribes, who lived in the northwestern United States. The Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota tribes also used the name, which marked the wild strawberries in June. June's full moon will be among the lowest in the sky of the year because of its low arc. Its moonlight will reflect the Earth's atmosphere, giving it a yellow or orange tint. On June 11, the full moon rises in the east shortly before sunset, which makes it the best time to see it from North America. Check the moonrise and moonset times in your location, then pick a site where you can see the eastern horizon at a low angle. You can use an online tool from The Old Farmer's Almanac to determine the local moonrise and moonset times. Try searching your city or ZIP code here. The moon takes about 29½ days to revolve around Earth, which is called a lunar cycle, according to the Lunar and Planetary Institute. As the moon moves through its various stages, it experiences several phases of partial light. These range from a banana-shaped crescent moon, a D-shaped quarter moon and a nearly full gibbous moon. There are seven full moons remaining this year; three will be supermoons. SOURCE NASA, The Old Farmer's Almanac, University of Arizona, Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, USA TODAY Network and USA TODAY research This story was updated to add new information. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is the strawberry moon? Best times to view June's full moon

These are the best times to view June's strawberry moon in California
These are the best times to view June's strawberry moon in California

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

These are the best times to view June's strawberry moon in California

A strawberry moon will dazzle skywatchers June 11. This year's strawberry moon will be a micromoon – which means it will appear dimmer and smaller than usual – and will be at its fullest at 12:44 a.m. PT, according to NASA. But because it's so early in the day, the best time to view the moon will be June 10, when it rises at sunset, according to LiveScience. The moon is expected to be a shade of gold rather than a vibrant shade of red like a strawberry, if weather conditions allow. The spectacle marks the last full moon before the summer solstice, when we officially say goodbye to spring. The moon also will appear about 14% smaller and 30% dimmer because it will be near its farthest point from Earth. Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. According to the Almanac, the name "strawberry moon" comes from the Native American Algonquian tribes, who lived in the northwestern United States. The Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota tribes also used the name, which marked the wild strawberries in June. June's full moon will be among the lowest in the sky of the year because of its low arc. Its moonlight will reflect the Earth's atmosphere, giving it a yellow or orange tint. On June 11, the full moon rises in the east shortly before sunset, which makes it the best time to see it from North America. Check the moonrise and moonset times in your location, then pick a site where you can see the eastern horizon at a low angle. You can use an online tool from The Old Farmer's Almanac to determine the local moonrise and moonset times. Try searching your city or ZIP code here. The moon takes about 29½ days to revolve around Earth, which is called a lunar cycle, according to the Lunar and Planetary Institute. As the moon moves through its various stages, it experiences several phases of partial light. These range from a banana-shaped crescent moon, a D-shaped quarter moon and a nearly full gibbous moon. There are seven full moons remaining this year; three will be supermoons. SOURCE NASA, The Old Farmer's Almanac, University of Arizona, Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, USA TODAY Network and USA TODAY research This story was updated to add new information. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is the strawberry moon? Best times to see June's full moon

June's full moon is the lowest full moon since 2006. How to see it tonight
June's full moon is the lowest full moon since 2006. How to see it tonight

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

June's full moon is the lowest full moon since 2006. How to see it tonight

The strawberries are ripening, which means it's time for June's "Strawberry Moon," and this one is set be extra special. The moon won't be red in color like it was during the blood moon in March but a gold color. Rather, this full moon coincides with the annual harvest of the favorite berry. June's Strawberry Moon takes its name from seasonal plant growth, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Many ripening strawberries were ready to be harvested around this time in the northeastern United States. This full moon has the distinction of being the lowest in the sky since 2006, an event that won't happen again until 2043. This is due to a phenomenon known as a "major lunar standstill" or "lunistice," a part of a natural cycle that takes place over 18.6 years that subtly changes where the moon rises and sets, according to BBC Sky at Night Magazine. Here's what to know about the full moon in June. It will be on the rise on Wednesday, June 11, at 3:44 a.m. It will be at its fullest at 3:44 a.m. ET, according to NASA. But because it's so early in the day, the best time to view the moon will be June 10, when it rises at sunset, according to LiveScience. While the day is supposed to be rainy, by tonight skies are expected to start clearing in Rhode Island, according to AccuWeather, meaning people will probably be able to see the full moon. The June full moon will be a micromoon, which means it will appear smaller and dimmer than it usually does. That's because the moon is currently at its farthest point point from the Earth. The moon also will appear about 14% smaller and 30% dimmer. The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. In 2025, it will fall on Friday, June 20. Every 20 years or so, the Strawberry Moon falls on the same day at the summer solstice, according to the Time & Date website. This year, won't be one of those times. According to reports, the Strawberry Moon will coincide with the summer solstice again in 2062. A full moon can be seen clearly with the naked eye. But in a past interview with USA Today Network, Tim Brothers, Massachusetts Institute of Technology technical Instructor and observatory manager, said with any case of stargazing, it's much better if you're using a good telescope or a pair of binoculars. According to Time and Date, they include: Strawberry Moon: June 11, 2025 Buck Moon: July 10, 2025 Sturgeon Moon: Aug. 9, 2025 Corn Moon: Sept. 7, 2025 Harvest Moon: Oct. 6, 2025 In 2025, there will be several supermoons. The next one will be on Oct. 7. USA Today contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: June's full moon is the lowest since 2006. How to see it tonight

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store