#wednesdayinthewild

[startorialist]

Here’s a Halloween round-up of some of the amazing space and science themed costumes we saw last week. Consider this your notice to start planning for next year. ;) 

Luke Wroblewski’s son as the solar system (very Magritte-esque)

Columbia Astronomy grad students, Alex Teachey and Tiffany Jansen, as Star Trek science officers

The amazing Maia Weinstock, creator of the Women of NASA Lego set(!), as Margaret Hamilton (one of those Lego women). Please note that Maia’s stack is of Lego boxes of the set featuring Margaret Hamilton. Meta to the power of meta. 

Liz Landau of NASA JPL as a star shade, a concept actively being researched at JPL for directly observing exoplanets. Talk about dressing your press. 

Lastly, not one, but TWO costumes inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope! Rocket scientist Kellie Gerardi went for the partner costume with her daughter Delta as the JWST primary mirror and a clean room technician. And astrophysicist Ethan Siegel went all out embodying the entire telescope himself, sun shield and all! You too can dress up like the JWST with this DIY version from a few years ago. 

Props to these superstars and all the others out there who are inspired by the Universe! 

- Summer

[startorialist]

EATA: Photos from the talk itself! Credits (top to bottom) Alex Parker, Jani Radebaugh, and Allison McGraw.

ETA: the first photo is now the debut of the dress at #DPS17!

Sometimes I think Science Fashion Twitter is magic... Then something like this happens, and I know it is! In fact, today’s post is SFTM squared because it is both #WednesdayintheWild and #WCW (Women Crushing It) and brought to you LIVE AS IT HAPPENS! Watch this space for updates with more photos!

Sooooo way back in July, planetary science professor Dr. Sarah Hörst sent us a star signal on twitter, and I suggested contacting @shenovafashion for a custom design. It turns out Sarah wanted the dress for a plenary talk (read: big deal) at a meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences (of the American Astronomical Society) and that talk is happening today!

Sarah chose a particular image of Titan from the Cassini mission because “it shows the detached haze layer and the HCN ice cloud in the polar vortex at the south pole really well.”

I am starting out this post with a couple photos already shared by Holly Renee of @shenovafashion & Sarah on twitter, and I’ll update it as she shares more with us!

--Emily

[startorialist]

It’s a Lands’ End landslide of bags, backpacks, and lunch boxes for kids! 

Special thanks to Mini McNees for modeling the solar system print. ;) 

Planet print: backpack, lunch box

Silver backpack

Black space print: backpack

Spacetime: backpack, lunch box (not pictured)

I need my space patch: backpack, overnight bag

Purple star print: backpack, overnight bag

- Summer

HT Robert McNees

[startorialist]

Last weekend, I managed to intersect orbits with Leland Melvin, NASA astronaut and veteran of not one, but two, spaceflights. If you don’t know of him already, you need to! Not only is he a great spokesperson for space exploration, he’s also a major force for education and outreach and making the world a better place. BONUS: HE IS CREATING HIS OWN STARTORIAL FASHION LINE.

So far there are only a few sneak peaks on his Instagram, but after seeing this sample jacket in person I can attest to its awesomeness. I even asked Leland if I could take a photo of the label because there is such incredible attention to detail in the craftsmanship. If you can’t make out the words, it says explains that the cloud image on the jacket was taken by Leland himself on STS-129 while docked to the International Space Station. 

I can’t wait to see more of Leland’s “Urban Space Gear Apparel Line” - I promise to bug him for some startorial exclusives, so watch this space...*

In the meantime, I highly recommend checking out Leland’s new book about his life: Chasing Space. It’s available as a young reader’s edition too. I’m already a third of the way through and loving it. 

- Summer

*pun intended, as always ;)

[startorialist]

As promised, here’s a round-up of the fabulous astro fashion on display at Women in Astronomy IV on Day 2:

Cee Gould - galaxy tee from Tilly’s

Jennifer Weston - @modcloth‘s supernova skirt and Marie Curie tee

Rachael Livermore - galaxy LED skirt (made by her, more on this soon!)

Karen Kneirman - Think Geek’s LED constellation bracelet, starry necklace by Earthly Delights, constellation tee 

Alicia Aarnio - galaxy bag from LeSportSac (print no longer available)

Jessica Mink - galaxy infinity scarf

If you missed Day 1, check it out here. 

- Summer

[startorialist]

Star Baby says happy (northern) summer solstice! Posting has been a little light* recently, but we have TONS of amazingness coming your way! --Emily *solstice pun, natch!

[startorialist]

Last weekend, I attended Women in Astronomy IV - a conference for focusing specifically on issues affecting the full spectrum of women in the field. 

It will explore the multiplication of disadvantage at the intersection of more than one identity for women of color, members of the LGBTIQA community, women with disabilities, and other underrepresented and marginalized women. This conference will identify the ways in which the field of astronomy must change in order to reap the full benefit of a scientific environment in which the effects of gender bias are minimized.

The conference was an amazing, amazing experience and my brain is still swimming from all that I’ve learned, but for now I thought I’d share some of the fabulous astro fashion on display. 

Day 1 included (top to bottom):

Rachael Livermore - galaxy dress (made by her) and starry cowboy boots

Eileen Gonzales - @modcloth‘s Heart and Solar System dress w/ sun earrings

Katy Wimberly - starry infinity scarf

Adam Burgasser - SMLX Good’s Women are all over it STEM t-shirt (aka “that other shirt”)

Moiya McTier and Natalia Lewandowska - Think Geek’s constellation dress

Stay tuned for looks from Day 2...

- Summer

[startorialist]

This might not count as “in the wild” because the Rose Center for Earth and Space at @amnhnyc is definitely not the last place you’d expect to see startorial fashion, but it still delights me when people wear their love for the Universe. And the story behind this hat is unexpected so I’m glad I asked!

The wearer is Michael Rubenstein, a photographer & film maker who was working on a shoot with the hardest working scientist in show business. The hat is swag from Brooklyn-based production company Greenpoint Pictures, and Michael saw it fitting to wear the Universe while filming one of its brightest stars.

–Emily

[startorialist]

Wednesday in the Wild: Evening Edition

Check out these far out looks on Buzz Aldrin and Bill Nye in Nick Graham’s 2017 Menswear runway show at New York Fashion Week! I’m impressed that Buzz has a “Get Your Ass to Mars” shirt that matches his silvery look perfectly. And Bill Nye’s blazer is most definitely out of this world.*

All the looks from the show are up on the New York Times Fashion Blog and Vogue has an interview will Nye about his runway debut here.

- Summer

*sorry, not sorry

[startorialist]

Today is International Women’s Day, and in the U.S. #DayWithoutAWoman organized by the Women’s March. I am all for as much activism as each of us can muster, especially now, but I am sitting this one out. I explained why on twitter almost a month ago, and as I’ve started to bring Star Baby to work with me the last few weeks, I feel that it’s even more important to be visible as a mom in science. Yesterday, for example, I found out that there are no baby-changing facilities on campus (outside of the Children’s Center, presumably, but that is not open to faculty), and that the “unisex” bathroom in my building still has urinals.

So today instead of striking, I’ll share some of my favorite #WomeninSTEM posts from the past three years (!!!!!) as we continue our not-so-secret mission to normalize participation in science.

(Photos above are from this post.)

--Emily

[startorialist]

An international team of astronomers announced today that they have discovered and exoplanet system of SEVEN PLANETS orbiting the same star. Not only that, but all seven planets are Earth-sized! Observations of this system were made with the European Southern Observatory in Chile and NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope in, you guessed it, space. The system itself is named TRAPPIST-1 after the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope. 

The TRAPPIST-1 system is the latest addition to our dreams of space travel thanks to this gorgeous NASA poster released today. Download your own copy here. And be sure to explore all the other space travel posters we’ve highlighted before.

And be sure to add TRAPPIST-1 to your intergalactic travel itinerary for “World Tour Wednesday” ASAP. 

- Summer

[startorialist]

Here’s a twofer for Wee Wednesday and Wednesday in the Wild!

Earlier this month, I was in LA to give a talk and as I always do, I stayed with family in Pasadena. When I was out there last summer, my little cousin fell in love with my “STEM Women are all over it” shirt. So naturally, this trip I had to bring her one of her own. I think it’s safe to say she liked it. 

She’s starting to amass a startorial track record and I couldn’t be prouder. ;) 

See all our posts featuring this shirt here.

- Summer

[startorialist]

Last Sunday, I participated in Mentorship Day for a fantastic program put on by the Intrepid Museum to support young girls interested in STEM. GOALS for Girls started in 2009 and gets bigger and better every year. I’ve been working with them for eight years now, but this was my first Mentorship Day and it was AMAZING. I met so many inspiring girls, including Ava Patino (pictured above). 

Of course, I spotted her skirt immediately (obvs) but she also looked familiar because she is a GOALS for Girls alum who attended the astronomy program I helped host last summer at Columbia. Ava is interested in pursuing a career in space studies and clearly has great startorial taste so I had to give her a shout out here. Ava’s grandmother made her skirt. I had a look at Spoonflower and Joann’s Fabric, but couldn’t find this print, so it must be one of a kind just like Ava! 

- Summer

[startorialist]

This is both a late-breaking #WednesdayintheWild (because of this adorkable video featuring astronomer Dr. Jana Grcevich in Times Square) and an early #TBT for the vintage stylings of our the Intergalactic Travel Bureau! Their new @kickstarter campaign is raising money for a Virtual Reality app, and they are offering sweet swag, from postcards to posters with stickers, buttons, and patches in between!

The IgTB is a cool mix of science, design, and performance art that has been planning space vacations in the UK since 2011 and the US since 2013, and I love that they are expanding their audience and our horizons (to Valles Marineris on Mars, the Apollo landing sites on the Moon, and Jupiter's moon Europa to be exact!) on both iOS and Android platforms. I can’t wait to book my trip!

--Emily

[startorialist]

This post is a three-fer (if not more!): my long-time startorial running buddy Marta (#TBT) recently sent me these galaxy-print running capris from Oiselle (#WorkoutWednesday) and a picture of her wearing them #inthewild. 

Pedantic Astronomer would note that the combination of planets and a nebulous backdrop is not very realistic (they would look something more like this), but still - SPACE PANTS!!!

--Emily

[startorialist]

Breaking up the re-blogs today to correct an egregious omission, because I hadn’t yet posted these photos of Dr. Rebecca Oppenheimer of @amnhnyc​ from over a year ago! She is wearing @blackmilkclothing​ leggings (and amazing boots, I think from Miz Mooz), and in the second photo I’m wearing @shadowplaynyc​ skirt/dress and, of course, Cosmic @converse​,

You see, not only do I owe my career in NYC to Rebecca, because she hired me as a postdoc when I finished grad school, but also essentially my entire research field, because she discovered the first confirmed brown dwarf (science paper), as featured in this post! We continue to collaborate on studies of gas giant extra-solar planets observed with the instruments she builds, and we even appeared on @startalkradio together!

Besides being an awesome scientist & mentor, Rebecca is an outspoken advocate for science funding and transgender rights, which makes we wonder if there is anything she can’t do...!

--Emily