Sidereal Messages by Jonathon Sims

Inspired by the magnificent new imagery captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, this short video work explores the possibilities and vastness of the distant cosmos. Practical lighting effects, lumia reflections and computer-generated geometric abstractions combine in a contemplation of the underlying mathematics and architecture of the space telescope and its observations.

The title, Sidereal Messages, is a reference to Galileo’s Sidereus Nuncius (which transates as Sidereal Messenger), the first scientific work based on observations made using a telescope. This treatise, published in 1610, introduced the world to incredible new discoveries, such as the fact that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is actually made up of 'congeries of innumerable stars grouped together in clusters'.

This video piece is an attempt to create imagery that can transmit the awe and wonder sparked by telescopes and the intergalactic waves received from astonishing distances and eons of time.