BEYOND: VISIONS OF PLANETARY LANDSCAPES

The Monmouth Museum is very proud to be the national touring debut of Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes which was organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). The exhibition presents an otherworldly view of our solar system collected during 40 years of robotic space missions and then processed into breathtaking images by artist Michael Benson. Back to calendar page.

Io Erupting

Source: Galileo, July 3, 1999

An 80-mile-high volcanic plume appears bright blue above the Pilan Patera volcano on Jupiter’s moon Io.

Credit: NASA/ JPL/ Michael Benson, Kinetikon Pictures

Mars Noctis

Source: Viking Orbiter 1, February 22, 1980

The Valles Marineris canyon system covers the left side of this image, while volcanoes Arsia Mons (upper right, in the darker area) and Pavonis Mons are visible to the right.

Credit: NASA /JPL/ Dr. Paul Geissler/ Michael Benson, Kinetikon Pictures

Mars Sunset

Source: Spirit Rover, May 19, 2005

Sunset casts a blue glow above the rim of Gusev Crater. The pink cast of the Martian sky is caused by dust suspended at a high altitude in the planet’s thin atmosphere.

Credit: NASA/ JPL/ Michael Benson, Kinetikon Pictures

Saturn

Source: Cassini, October 6, 2004

In 2004, Cassini captured images that were assembled into the most detailed view of Saturn ever seen. In this image, the planet casts an oblong shadow over its rings.

Credit: NASA/ JPL/ Space Science Institute/ Michael Benson, Kinetikon Pictures

The Americas

Source: MESSENGER, August 2, 2005

This view of North, Central, and South America was captured by MESSENGER, en route to Mercury.

Credit: NASA/ Carnegie Institution/ Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/ Michael Benson, Kinetikon Pictures

The Moon and Earth

Source: Zond 8, October 24, 1970

Earth sits at the lunar horizon in this image from Zond 8, a Soviet spacecraft. Zond 8 flew past the moon at a distance of 690 miles then returned to splash down into the Indian Ocean three days later.

The Sun

Source: TRACE, July 30, 1999

Careful processing of data from solar-powered space probes gives this ultraviolet image of the sun something approaching “true color”—although the sun is too bright to view directly.

Credit: TRACE Project, Stanford-Lockheed Institute for Space Research/ NASA/ Michael Benson, Kinetikon Pictures

Jupiter

Source: Voyager 1 and 2, March-July 1979

Voyager 1 and 2 flew past Jupiter during the spring and summer of 1979. At right, other storm systems are seen whirling around the Great Red Spot.

Credit: NASA/ JPL/ Dr. Paul Geissler/ Michael Benson, Kinetikon Pictures

Triton

Source: Voyager 2, August 24, 1989

Neptune’s moon Triton, among the coldest places ever observed in nature, displays dark geyser streaks and “cantaloupe” terrain.

Credit: NASA/ JPL/ Michael Benson, Kinetikon Pictures

Venus

Source: Mariner 10, February 5, 1974

This ultraviolet image of Venus shows the planet with sunlight reflecting off its perpetual veil of clouds.

Credit: NASA/ Calvin J. Hamilton/ Michael Benson, Kinetikon Pictures