Astrophysics Colloquium - Illustrating the Universe: Making the Invisible Visible

An astronomical publication becomes far more engaging when it includes images — a photograph of Jupiter or the Andromeda Galaxy, for example. But what about subjects for which no photographs exist? Think of an exoplanet, an interstellar comet, or a black hole. How do you depict something for which no images are available, or objects that are not visible at all? That is where artist’s impressions come to the rescue. Daniëlle Futselaar specializes in creating scientifically based illustrations that bring these unseen worlds to life.

She began her career in 2001 as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. Since 2011, she has been producing illustrations for various astronomical organizations. As a result, her work regularly appears in the media, including Nature, Nature Astronomy, American Scientist, National Geographic, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. Her illustrations have also appeared on the covers of Nature, Nature Astronomy, and American Scientist.

In addition, she wrote and illustrated children’s books about the universe and created illustrations for books by André Kuipers (astronaut, ISS) and Govert Schilling (renowned science writer). Her latest picture book, Het Geheime Heelal (The Secret Universe), was published in 2024 and is available through Dutch (online) bookstores.