Details about the Animations

Cretaceous Impact
Duration: 43 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
A six-mile wide asteroid slams into the northern tip of what is now the Yucatan peninsula at the close of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago. This catastrophic impact may have been a factor in the extinction of the dinosaurs..
Image Use.
Tunguska Impactor
Duration: 35 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps
The Tunguska impactor approaches Earth. Earth images courtesy of NASA.
Image Use.
Tunguska Event
Scene 2

Duration: 35 seconds
HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps
The Tunguska impactor begins its fiery descent into Earth's atmosphere. Earth images
courtesy of NASA.

Image Use.
Tunguska Event
Scene 3

Duration: 12 seconds
HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps
A view of the Tunguska impactor from within its vapor trail. Earth images courtesy of NASA.
Image Use.
Tunguska Event
Scene 4

Duration: 12 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
The Tunguska bolide moments before detonation. Earth images courtesy of NASA.
Image Use.
Tunguska Event
Scene 5

Duration: 30 seconds
HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps
Viewed from above, the detonation of the Tunguska impactor over Siberia shortly after 7 AM on June 30, 1908. Earth images courtesy of NASA.
Image Use.
Birth of a Star
Duration: 21 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps
A star is born from a rotating disk of gas and dust deep within the Orion Nebula. Orion Nebula image courtsey of NASA.
Ancient Martian Sunrise
Duration: 35 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
Sunrise over the water-filled Valles Marineris canyon on ancient Mars.
Asteroid Impact on Mars
Duration: 30 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
The impact of an asteroid hurls martian rocks across the solar system. One such rock, ALH 84001, was found in Antarctica and bears structures similar to the fossils of microscopic life.
Martian Grand Canyon
Duration: 33 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps
The martian moon Phobos passes over Valles Marineris, the "Grand Canyon" of Mars.
Martian Volcanoes
Duration: 30 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
Martian volcanoes erupt in the distant past.
Descent into a
Black Hole

Duration: 45 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
A journey into a black hole.
Comet Approaching Jupiter
Duration: 25 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps
A comet on a collision course with Jupiter.
Nemesis Comet
Duration: 50 seconds
HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps
A swarm of comets enters the inner solar system. The barrrage is triggered by Nemesis, the hypothetical dwarf companion of the sun. Earth and moon images courtesy of NASA.
Image Use.
Asteroid Approaching Earth
Duration: 66 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps
A hypothetical doomsday asteroid targets Earth. Earth images courtesy of NASA.
Image Use.
Comet Nucleus
Scene 1

Duration: 25 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps
Jets of gas and streams of meteoroids are emitted by the dark nucleus of a comet as it approaches the sun.
Image Use.
Comet Nucleus
Scene 2

Duration: 30 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
Jets of gas and streams of meteoroids are emitted by the dark nucleus of a comet as it approaches the sun.
Comet and Earth
Duration: 78 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
The viewer is transported through the debris-strewn tail of a comet which is making a close approach to Earth. Earth images courtesy of NASA.
Image Use.
The Big Whack
Duration: 40 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
The hypothetical collision of a Mars-size protoplanet with the young Earth is thought to have been the first stage in the formation of our moon.
Moon Accretion Events
Duration: 40 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
Particles in a ring of debris begin to accrete around the newly-formed Earth. Elevation map courtesy of NASA.
Impacts on the
Young Moon

Duration: 28 seconds
HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps
Impact events on the newly-formed moon. Elevation map courtesy of NASA.
Primordial Moon
Duration: 76 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
The primitive moon orbits within a ring of debris. Elevation map courtesy of NASA.
Supernova
Duration: 34 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
The explosion of a high-mass star produces a supernova remnant.
Formation of a
Planetary Nebula

Duration: 45 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
A red giant star expels its outer envelope leaving a white dwarf core surrounded by a planetary nebula.
Galactic Journey
Duration: 100 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
This "Powers of Ten" style animation transports you from Earth past the outer planets, through starfields and nebulae and ultimately to the edge of our Milky Way galaxy. This thumbnail is a composite of the opening and closing frames, since a single picture cannot capture the range of imagery in this 6,000-frame animation. Planet images courtesy of NASA.
Red Giant1
Duration: 18 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps
Five billion years from now our dying sun will grow to become a red giant star.
Red Giant2
Duration: 11 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps
Some scientists believe that when our sun becomes a red giant it will grow large enough to envelope Earth.
Great Orion Nebula
Duration: 89 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
This animation begins with a nighttimeview of the constellation Orion including over 200 stars down to visual magnitude 6.40. After traveling 1,500 light years we enter the Orion Nebula, closely passing the Trapezium star cluster. Our final destination is a protostar and a hypothetical, newborn planet buried deep within one of the "proplyds". Orion and Horse Head nebulae images courtesy of Robert Gendler.
Origin of the Solar System
Duration: 105 seconds
HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps
Bipolar jets of gas emanate from the protoplanetary disk in which our Solar System is taking shape. We enter the solar nebula and pass Kuiper Belt objects and several planets in formation. We finally arrive at Earth and watch it cool from a semi-molten protoplanet to the ocean-covered world we know today. Earth and Mars images courtesy of NASA.
Image Use.
Venus
Duration: 21 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps
Venus' cloud deck fades to reveal the volcanic surface mapped by the Magellan spacecraft. Venus images courtesy of NASA.
Australian Sunrise
Duration: 37 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
Sunrise over northern Australia.
Asteroid Belt
Duration: 45 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps
A journey into the Asteroid Belt.
Triple Asteroid
87 Sylvia

Duration: 140 seconds
HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps
Two small asteroidal moons orbit their large parent, asteroid 87 Sylvia.
Origin of Jupiter
Duration: 40 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
The evolution of the planet Jupiter. Dozens of images captured by the Voyager spacecraft were used to create Jupiter's surface map. Surface map courtesy of NASA and Bjorn Jonsson.
Clouds of Titan
Duration: 20 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
A short flight through the upper atmosphere of Saturn's moon, Titan. Saturn maps courtesy of NASA and Bjorn Jonsson.
Titan and Saturn
Duration: 23.3 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
A short flight to Saturn's giant moon, Titan. Saturn maps courtesy of NASA and Bjorn Jonsson.
Solar Eclipse
Duration: 68 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
Partial phase through totality. Includes Bailey's Beads and the diamond ring effect.
Lunar Eclipse
Duration: 37 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
The moon passes from penumbral to total eclipse, changing color as it enters Earth's shadow in this "time lapse" movie. Moon image courtesy of NASA.
Globular Star Cluster
Duration: 40 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
Stars follow random paths with varying orbital speeds.
Algol
Duration: 40 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
The two stars comprising Algol revolve around their center of mass. The orbital tilt in this scene matches that seen from Earth, allowing the stars to exhibit the mutual eclipses which have made this binary famous. The colors, diameters and relative distance between the two stars have been depicted as accurately as possible.
Extrasolar Planet
Duration: 50 seconds
HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps
An apparently solitary star exhibits a cyclic "wobble". A short time later an orbiting planet fades in and both are seen to revolve around their center of mass. The orbital path is optional, and the tilt of the orbital plane can be animated to show the planet transiting the star. Surface map courtesy of NASA and Bjorn Jonsson.

Return to Video Gallery I
Return to Video Gallery II


All images are protected by copyright. Permission to reproduce any image must be obtained by writing to: INTERSTELL@aol.com. Please see our Image Use page for more information.
The Dinosaur Art Gallery of Joe Tucciarone | The Space Art of Joe Tucciarone
The Mythology and Fantasy Art of Joe Tucciarone