hartmann
@psi.edu

My creative work in the last few years has been divided among three areas: scientific research at PSI, my paintings, and my writing. I am currently on the imaging team of NASA's Mars Global Surveyor mission. My paintings include astronomical scenes (used for magazines, book covers, etc.) and my writing includes popular science books and two recent novels. You can explore all these efforts in more detail by clicking on the listings below.

CONTENTS:

* SHORT FORMAL CAREER RESUME

* COMPREHENSIVE ASTRONOMICAL PAINTING CATALOG: PICTORIAL CATALOG OF PAINTINGS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION

* DESCRIPTIVE CATALOG OF PAINTINGS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION

* PAINTING: GALLERIES and BACKGROUND

* SCIENCE RESEARCH

* WRITING

PAINTING OF THE MONTH

View of Saturn from its satellite, Iapetus.

Iapetus has a bright white icy surface on one hemisphere, but very dark material on the other hemisphere. The dark material is believed to be debris launched by cratering on the dark outer satellites Phoebe and Hyperion. The material spirals inward and impacts the leading hemisphere of the next satellite inward, Iapetus. Additional complicated effects come from strong heat absorption by the the dark material, relative to the bright ice. In this view, from a high latitude on Iapetus, Saturn appears with rings near-parallel to the horizon, and the dark material is arriving from the right, plastering on to right-facing surfaces. (Painting by William K. Hartmann, commissioned for the collection of Eric Palmer.) 

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