I began my astronomical study by thinking about objects in orbit and how they can change trajectory due to nearby bodies of mass. I knew I wanted to make an impossible cycle of orbiting bodies and decided to use a tetrahedral structure to accomplish this, with the bodies swapping paths at every conjunction. Using a series of illuminated ‘moons’ the orbit creates a rhythmic pattern on three distinct paths (as later demonstrated in my physical artefact). I think the greatest triumph of this project is the rolling close-up camera perspective which beautifully captures the moons as they transition between orbital paths and eclipse one another.
For the physical artefact I wanted to emphasise perspective and path. I bound copper wire rings with gradially dyed cotton; the intensive, purposeful making process results in a multitude of tiny inconsistencies – the microscopic intricacy of the piece is evocative of the complexity of vast scales. I made one regular tetrahedral construct and another with orbits of varied size to reflect the skewed perspective of the virtual artefact. By drawing just one path around each piece it is clear that is passes through each of the tetrahedron’s rings for one arc, and by observing the pieces from different angles the path appears to cast a complex 2D curve despite having very simple 3D rules.
Virtual artefact made in Three.js with OrbitalControls. Build files generated from this Codepen demo, process documented in this Codepen collection.
Physical artefact made with copper wire, cotton, and nickel.