Celebrating the rough, the raw and the human in hardcore space science

Images of space and the solar system have a powerful appeal, and amaze with their vibrant otherworldly vistas. But it’s easy to forget just how processed they are: the colours are often added for effect, and digital editing makes these pictures pop. So it’s worth remembering the human process behind space as we know it. This is precisely the aim of Black Rain, which transforms raw scientific data into pulsating audiovisual art. The video careens through imagery captured by NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory mission: since its launch in 2006, it has compiled stereoscopic reproductions of solar ejections using twin satellites – one ahead of the Earth in its orbit, and another trailing behind. Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt – aka Semiconductor, the UK artist duo behind the video – say the images are a reminder of ‘the human observer, who endeavours to extend our perceptions and knowledge through technological innovation’. Black Rain is a companion piece to Semiconductor’s 20 Hz, and was originally exhibited as part of an installation at the Royal Academy in London in 2009-10.