The Milky Way galaxy suspended in a glass cube Introducing a new, smaller version of the ‘Beyond our solar system’ galaxy in a glass cube made with the aid of 80,000 pieces of star data. Nobody has ever seen our galaxy from outside like this. And it is unlikely that mankind will reach anywhere with this sort of view for a very long time. “Beyond the solar system” was built using data from a project dubbed 4D2U. The galactic data for 4D2U was produced by Eiichiro Kokubo, Assistant Professor in the Division of Theoretical Astronomy at the National Astronomical Observatory, and Kato Tsunehiko, now at Osaka University, based on the latest results of theoretical simulations. This data is acknowledged internationally as some of the best-quality galactic data currently available. The galaxy is laid out so that the tabletop aligns with the ecliptic and horizon. We usually see this galaxy from the inside, as the “Milky Way”. In it are the Sun, the Earth, and us. Our world has a center. Outside it extends all this space. Stories The Image of the World https://www.livingworld.net/works/galaxy/ Package design https://www.livingworld.net/blog/essays/091015_package/ ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ Beyond our solar system – palmtop version Three-dimensional rendering of the Milky Way galaxy Bundled items Glass cube: W70×D70×H70mm (about 100,000 light-year length) Weight: 0.8kg Cloth: Hymilon (nylon) 22cmΦ Booklet: 24 pages W:11.8×H:11.8cm Original data: Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory 4D2U project, Eiichiro Kokubo, Tsunehiko Kato (Mitaka++) Data design: Yukio Ando (exa) Laser marking: L-Tec Inc Design: Tariho Nishimura Produce: Living World * Since it is made of glass, it does not deteriorate over time (yellowing). We select materials with high transparency. * The wooden stand in the photo is not included. The graphic on the surface of the box is also drawn with a laser. * Countries that can be sent by EMS/Express Mail Service: https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/ems/country/index_en.html NB: ‘Beyond our solar system’ is beautiful when backlit. The colors in natural light especially create a striking translucent effect. This is what the cube looks like on a window sill when viewed from a dark room.