Turkish photographer’s work becomes part of first art museum on Moon

ISTANBUL

The MoonMars Project, an endeavor that transports art and science to space and extends human artistic heritage beyond Earth, has successfully carried 47 artworks to the moon, with “Stardust,” a celestial photograph by a Turkish astrophotographer, being among the selected pieces now resting on the lunar surface.

As part of the international project, the selected works — chosen from artists worldwide — were etched onto a nickel plate, placed inside a golden pyramid-shaped capsule and transported aboard the Blue Ghost lander on Jan. 15.

Mustafa Aydın, who is among the three Turks whose works were sent to the Moon as part of the same project, captured his artwork “Stardust” using remote telescopes in Chile’s Telescope Live network.

His image showcases NGC 1929, an open cluster associated with the emission nebula. Processed using Hubble Palette color mapping — developed for the Hubble Space Telescope — the piece represents humanity’s passion for discovery and learning.

The capsule, carrying “Stardust” and 46 other artworks, successfully touched down on the Moon on March 2 and now rests there after a 46-day journey, preserving the artworks for future generations of explorers.

Aydın watched the descent live, witnessing the moment his work became a permanent part of the lunar landscape.

“Having a space shot of myself land on the Moon is a feeling I cannot even describe. This is a milestone for both art and science,” Aydın told state-run Anadolu Agency, expressing his excitement.

He also highlighted the project’s symbolic gesture: originally, 46 artworks were planned to represent human chromosome pairs, but an additional piece, created by a photographer with Down syndrome, symbolizing the 47th chromosome.

With the project, the Moon now hosts its first-ever art museum, ensuring that human creativity has a presence beyond Earth. “This is the first time that art has been transported to the Moon and the first time that an art museum has been established there. This art museum also has my work on display,” Aydın said in a testament to his deeply personal achievement.

Aydın, who has been photographing the sky for a decade, also expressed satisfaction with this personal achievement contributing to the country’s endeavors on the field.

“Looking at the Moon and knowing there is something of mine, something of us, up there gives me chills. It is an incredible feeling to send our artworks to the Moon, especially at a time when Türkiye is working on its own lunar missions.”

In the future, Aydın hopes to see more of his artwork sent to celestial bodies, including Mars and beyond.