The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) is opening a pop-up exhibition titled "Beautiful Universe" featuring deep space astrophotography. The exhibit, a collaboration between the MAH and UC Santa Cruz's Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, showcases celestial images captured by astrophotographer Steve Mandel and collaborator Bob Fera using remotely operated telescopes in the Sierra Nevada mountains and Chile. The photos, printed on large metal sheets, depict galaxies, nebulae, and supernova remnants using color filters similar to those on the Hubble Telescope.
The exhibition matters because it bridges art and science at a time when Mandel notes that "science is struggling right now." By presenting visually stunning images of deep space, the exhibit aims to engage the public emotionally and then draw them into learning the astronomy behind the images. It also highlights the growing role of remote observatories and citizen science in producing museum-quality visual art.