Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

I am a space artist, portraying the wonders out there being revealed by space exploration. I now create fulldome animations for Planetariums. Joined March 2018

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

3 days ago

As night fell in the High Desert tonight an intense lightning storm lit up the Northeast horizon, just near enough to hear its sustained faint rumble from the nearly continuous lightning within.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

a month ago

The smoke tinted Full Moon rises behind the rocky hills of the High Desert. Tonight's Moonrise happens as we reflect on the passing of one of those who was there, Jim Lovell.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

2 months ago

80 years ago the first nuclear explosion in occurred, at 5:29:21 Mountain War Time or 11:29:21 GMT. The first photo (colorized) shows the expanding 'fireball' at 0.006 sec, when it was then about 150 meters wide. The 2nd is a retouched color photo about 10 seconds into the event.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

2 months ago

Once it cleared the smoky murky horizon, I had a good view of the Axiom-4 Crew Capsule re-entry early this morning from Joshua Tree, CA.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

2 months ago

10 years ago today Pluto and Charon were revealed during the New Horizons flyby. It was my last pilgrimage to experience a Planetary encounter, where I met several others who also Had To Be There. Digital painting of closest approach based on returned data and my 3D NH model.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

2 months ago

My digital portrayal of the Great Aurora of May 10-11, 2024. 3D rendering and much hand painting was done. Beyond the main aurora a dimmer crimson glow extended south with a brighter edge known as an 'SAR' or Stable Auroral Red arc. This is a portion of the high resolution work.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

3 months ago

The amazing clouds of June 3, 2025 loomed over the High Desert dropping rain here and there, lightly at Joshua Tree but causing flooding in nearby 29 Palms. Distant thunder almost subliminally added to the ambience. It was exhilarating to be outside with a camera.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

4 months ago

There are now four high altitude balloons in the Tucson area, all apparently launched from a small dirt runway at the fringes of a military area East of Huachuca city, AZ, at Fort Huachuca. This is part of military multi-national NATO exercise called, "Arcane Thunder 25."

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

4 months ago

In the early morning of the 1433rd Martian Day, or 'Sol', of the Perseverance Rover it obtained this view of the surroundings and sky. The Martian moon Deimos shines in the dusty sky. I have tried to remove the camera related brightness variations across the visual field.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

4 months ago

The Sunset of May 12, 2025 was an epic spectacle in the High Desert. A fortuitously long clear path of very filtered sunlight illuminated the undersides of a dynamically changing broken cloud ceiling with a vivid orange then deepening red light. It was very windy at that time.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

5 months ago

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

6 months ago

Almost 9 years ago I made this animation celebrating Lunar eclipses. Some day people may see these from on and near the Moon. A revision incorporating refinements in my knowledge of the subject is on my list. Ideally seen on a large screen in a dark room. vimeo.com/188736414?shar…

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

6 months ago

A digital painting suggesting what someone with a small telescope could see from the Moon during a Lunar Eclipse. The hidden Sun is steadily being refracted around the limb of Earth. A 'wraparound twilight' is visible elsewhere, interrupted by gaps from clouds blocking the glow.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

6 months ago

It is Noon at the Blue Ghost site at Mare Crisium. Unfortunately they have released no scenery views from their cameras since this image showing a long lander shadow. They have been stingy with or not taken landscape views, but we'll presumably see Fridays eclipse lit scenery.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

6 months ago

The third image release from the Blue Ghost lander showing the spacecraft shadow stretching into the distance. I have applied color correction and warped the horizon to straighten it. Earth looms above the horizon, overexposed along with the central Lunar scenery.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

6 months ago

My take on recovering the Lunar surface detail in the first released Blue Ghost lander image. The image as released has been selectively brightened and inverted so lander portions and disturbed ground are at the bottom. It appears that camera was badly dusted upon landing.

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Donald E Davis @DDAVISSPACEART

7 months ago

Tonights launch from Vandenberg brought a striking adornment to the evening twilight. Here is the view from the High Desert at Joshua Tree, Ca. of the twisted and stretched launch plume catching the colors of twilight glows and heavily filtered Sunlight from various altitudes.