Source image by Kaitlin Moore, “The River,” taken at Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, August 2017.

This Wednesday, an exhibition of astrophotography (photographs of the sky at night) by Penn undergrad Kaitlin Moore will be opening at the Brodsky Gallery on Penn campus. Moore, a former astrophysics major, is interested in communicating both the scale and distance of astronomical objects in her photographs. She chose works that demonstrate the juxtaposition of normal, everyday objects, like buildings and trees, with wide, long-exposure shots of the stars.

“I tried to keep from being intimidated or scared of the scale of [my subject matter],” Moore says. “I had the opportunity to acknowledge my fear, and turn it into something beautiful.” 

Also at the opening will be a panel discussion and presentations from scholars in various fields of the sciences and creative fields, talking about how to approach astronomy through the lens of their specific disciplines.

“We have a grad student who does research on UFOs, a medical student who writes poetry about medicine and a writer who writes short stories that incorporate… mathematics,” Moore explains. “I wanted to bring together like-minded people who… think about connections between science and the arts and try to deconstruct the demarcation between the two.”

The Brodsky Gallery is located on the ground floor of the Kelly Writer’s House at 3805 Locust Walk, on Penn campus and just west of the 38th St. pedestrian bridge. The exhibit is titled “We Are Here”, and the opening starts at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14. The photographs will be on display through mid-May.

– Mike VanHelder