A History of the Sky:
A Dynamic Time-Lapse Visualization of the Sky for an Entire Year
By Ken Murphy
Phyllis C. Wattis Webcast Studio
January 5 – January 31, 2010

For the fast-paced world of twenty-first-century sky-gazers and dreamers, the Exploratorium will present a speeded-up view of the heavens, a time-lapse glimpse of atmospheric events that occur around us at a rate normally far too slow to observe directly. A History of the Sky, an installation by Ken Murphy on view at the Exploratorium from January 5-31, 2010, will enable viewers to appreciate the rhythms of weather, the lengthening and shortening of days, and other heavenly events on an immediate aesthetic level. The clouds, fog, wind and rain form a rich visual texture, and sunrises and sunsets cascade across the screen. This time-lapse visualization is included in the price of admission.

Currently, the piece is a work in progress, during which an image of the sky is being captured every ten seconds from a camera installed on the roof of the Exploratorium, at the edge of San Francisco Bay. The images collected over each 24-hour period are assembled into a six-minute movie—at 24 frames a second.

The viewer will be able to stand back and observe the atmospheric phenomena of an entire day in just a few minutes. The work will consist of a large projected grid of movies, each representing one day, and cycling in parallel through consecutive 24-hour periods.

Ken Murphy is a musician, programmer, artist and tinkerer living in San Francisco, California. Ken’s past creations include Blinkybugs, simple, electronic insects that respond to their environment. Ken has written for Popular Science and Make magazine, and is currently working on a children’s book and kit featuring his Blinkybugs.