Planetary Science Institute launches space art exhibit

One of their first contracts produced some of the earliest pictures of Mars captured by Mariner 9, a NASA mission for which Hartmann served on the imaging team alongside Carl Sagan.

Since then, the Planetary Science Institute has grown into one of the largest firms of its kind in the world and played a role in virtually every NASA mission to explore the solar system, as well as missions by Japan and the European Space Agency.

In addition to his scientific work on the origin and evolution of planets and planetary systems, Hartmann is a lifetime fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists. He has also written and illustrated numerous textbooks, nonfiction books and two science fiction novels.

In 1997, the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences awarded him the first Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication.

Hartmann’s extensive collection of cosmic art includes more than 800 of his own paintings, along with dozens of pieces by other space artists with whom he has traded work over the years.

The selected pieces to be displayed at the institute were created over the past 60 years and provide a window into the history of space exploration and humanity’s evolving understanding of planetary systems.

“Art is a critical tool for expressing, exploring, and reflecting on complex ideas,” said PSI senior scientist and fellow space artist Jamie Molaro, who is also leading the curation effort. “It shines a light on how the process of observing and studying a subject can be both scientific and artistic at the same time.”