Pilgrimage of Light @ Grand Canyon
(If you are not familiar with Pilgrimage of Light, it’s recommended that you start viewing here)
After having paid pilgrimages to 12 sites including 10 national parks, this pilgrim has eyed Grand Canyon’s strata, showcasing 1.8 billion years of geology; it was a holy grail for me. The residency with The Grand Canyon Conservancy couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment.
Little did I know that the technique and confidence I’ve developed up to that moment would be thoroughly challenged by Grand Canyon’s sheer scale and the record-breaking harsh winter, together they weakened and interfered with my projections. I had to revamp my process to adapt: I diligently conducted measuring and planning that would arm me with numbers of projection width, distance and bursts of flash, I monitored phases and positions of the moon which can make or break the capturing of images, and I even acquired task-force grade gloves that could keep my fingers functioning in biting cold wind.
Adaptation prevailed. I’ve turned the month-plus residency productive, successfully producing dozens of new images from the rim as well as the bottom of Grand Canyon. The impedance from the challenges gave birth to a spinoff series Spaceship, which are also featured on this page.
None of these would have happened hadn’t the Grand Canyon Conservancy entrusted me with their resources. My residency would have been ground to a halt hadn’t the folks with the Conservancy and the young rangers with National Park Service assisted me by carrying my heavy gears, hiking with me, setting up my projectors, tipping me off with the best vantage points, and cheered me on with kind words. The long roadtrip between Houston and Grand Canyon was made much easier driving with Olive and Marcia. I shouldn’t forget to thank the mules and their rider who relieved me of 50 founds of equipment on the ascent to the rim. I caught the curveball from Grand Canyon, because of the supports.
All projected astronomical images are by NASA/ESA
Grand Canyon Village, NGC 1300 and Arp 273— 300 million-light-year away Arp 273’s light was emitted when the Supai Group formation it’s projected on was deposited, layer by layer. Where we call the Grand Canyon today wouldn’t be a Canyon if the land wasn’t uplifted due to tectonic movement, between 70 to 50 million years ago, when the light of NGC 1300 started its journey to us. Above these, sits Grand Canyon village, whose 100+ year history is merely a 1.5 hour movie in a person’s lifetime. Galaxy images by Galaxy image by NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Hikers' headlight, Saturn, Jupiter and Grand Canyon Village— Hiking up the last 3 miles of Bright Angel Trail requires stamina, and about 1.5 hours, the amount of time for light to travel from Saturn to Earth. The last section of switchbacks are the most strenuous and takes about 45 minutes, while the light from Jupiter makes its dash to Earth. When you attempt the ascent, imaging that you you racing with lights that come from these two giant planets. Planet images by NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
James Webb’s NGC 3324 and The South Rim— The cosmic cliffs of NGC 3324, portrayed by James Webb Space Telescope, is projected below Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Grand Canyon' 6000 feet of strata, carved out by The Colorado in the past 5 million years, span over 1.8 billion years of Earth's history. On top of it there is a stratum that is never mentioned by the geologists. It is the human stratum, seen here as the light from the Grand Canyon Village. All human activities are merely a thin membrane that haven't really registered much on Earth, and could vanish and leave little trace. NGC 3324 is a nursery for new born stars. The young stars emits strong radiation that "erodes" the interstellar gas, sculpting it into shapes of cliffs. It is a process of creation billions of times grander than Grand Canyon's. This should inform us our importance, or rather, the lack thereof, for this universe. Nebula image by NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
Arp 273, a pair of interacting galaxies 300 million light years away, juxtaposed below the 270 millions years old rim of Grand Canyon. Galaxy image by NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
人生草尖露，世事風中塵； 微渺見天命，刹那亦永恆。 式千句筱瀾寫於洛城二零ㄧ三 Lives, brief as dewdrops on grass blade. All deeds, nothing but dust in the wind. See grandeurs of universe in minuscules. Comprehend eternity through a glimpse. Stanza by 陳式千 and calligraphy by Elaine Chen This is my tribute to my family, my Mom who did the calligraphy in Li script and passed away 2 years ago, my brother who wrote the stanza when he was a student of geology, and to my heritage, aptly produced at Chinese New Year, my year of rabbit. Assisted by Grand Canyon ranger Kylie Caesar
NGC 6786, the larger galaxy on the right, is the aggressor that will eventually choke hold LEDA 62876, the smaller galaxy on the left. This intergalactic wrestling is not a live event, it took place 350 million years ago, when the Redwall limestone, on which I projected the galactic show, was about to form from sea creatures' shells. We, in our blink of a life time, are lucky to witness the extraterrestrial image arrived through the vast space and the oceanic formation uplifted and exposed as part of the Grand Canyon. Next to it is the bunk house of Havasupai Garden, where park ranger Kylie Cesar, technician Matt Snider and myself took shelter in harsh weather. The two kind folks assisted me in making this hardest projection I've ever attempted. The equipment, challenged by low temperature and rain, made the effort stomach-ulcer-worthy. Galactic image produced by NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
The Pillar of Creation and the Watchtower. Nebula image by NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Before Grand Canyon was carved out by the Colorado River, it was uplifted by tectonic movement, during which the light of NGC 1300 we see today was emitted, some 60 million years ago. Arguably the most spectacular view in the park, the projection was made from the Watchtower overlooking the Desert View. Assisted by Dan Pawlak. Galaxy image by NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Kolb Studio and Saturn— Kolb Studio, founded 1905 by Emery and Ellsworth Kolb, was a photo studio that focused on photographing the Canyon, it's visitors, and has produced documentaries about the brothers' adventure on the Colorado river. It is the only structure that appears below the rim here. Here's my tribute to my predecessors that shared with me fascination on Grand Canyon. Saturn image by NASA
Colorado River and Andromeda Galaxy on Grand Canyon's Vishnu Basement Rock— At the bottom of Grand Canyon, the Vishnu Basement Rock is 1.8 billion years old—over a third of Earth's age. This much of Earth's past wouldn't have been revealed if Colorado didn't carve deep during the past 6 million years. Halfway into Colorado River's slicing effort, Andromeda Galaxy's light captured by Hubble started to beam to us. Two nights ago, I beamed this image to unite the two long lost siblings. Galaxy image by NASA/JPL-Caltech
The Colliding and The Missing— Arp-Madore 417-391, a pair of colliding galaxies 670 million light years away, can't be paired with any exposed strata at Grand Canyon. This is because of a geologic unconformity, when layers of sediments were eroded before newer sediments were deposited. Here at Grand Canyon it's called The Great Unconformity, in which over 200 million years of geologic history is missing. To pin point the unconformity, look to the upper part of the galaxy where the horizontally textured rock meets the rough and random looking rock below it. In a way, the oddities seem to be well matched. Galaxy image by ESA/Hubble & NASA, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, J. Dalcanton
Bright Angel, Cartwheel and Grand Canyon Village— The Bright Angel Shale, the formation I stood on while making this projection, also on the slope at the lower part of the galaxy, is the 500 million years old strata of Grand Canyon. Cartwheel galaxy, at 500 million light years away, sports two unusual rings, both products of galaxy collision. On the rim, you can see artificial lights trying to blend in as stars. On the right it is the cluster from Grand Canyon Village. In the center, the lone light is from Yavapai Geology Museum. Galaxy image by NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team
Here is an illustration of where I've been photographing. The red line marks the last bit of Bright Angel Trail that led to Havasupai Garden. The bunkhouse where I stayed is visible at the tip of the arrow. I then hiked to the tip of the flat Bright Angel Shale, to Plateau Point, where I did the projection.
From the Watchtower, Dan and Emily looked on to NGC 6960, a memorial of a supernova. Nebula image by NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team
Out of the window of my spaceship, there is Andromeda— This is the inception of the series Spaceship, in which I portray the astronauts and myself onboard Spaceship Earth.
El Tovar's lobby and star cluster Ruprecht 106
Ranger Kylie and I chart our exploration. Orion Nebula image by NASA, ESA, M. Robberto ( Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team
Some of these astronauts wandered from the far end of our spaceship to join me
My fellow astronauts onboard Spaceship Earth. Saturn is our uninhabitable companion .
Thank you, fellow astronauts, for joining me on my reception.
Pillars of Creation and space wanderers at my reception
Grand Canyon gave me the best send off when this stunning view appeared at the dawn after the storm.