Mark A. Garlick

    Mark A. Garlick is a freelance illustrator and author specializing in space, earth sciences, science fiction and technology. He came into the space art business with a scientific background — a doctorate in astrophysics — in late 1996.

    After he finished his Ph.D., Mark spent three years researching close cataclysmic binary stars at Sussex Unversity in England. He then decided to change careers and has since written and illustrated five of his own books, including the Atlas of the Universe, his "passport to the cosmos." His images have also appeared in many other books and publications. For information about his books, go to MarkGarlick.com

    Mark used traditional paints when he began doing space scenes but made the leap to digital graphics and insists it is no less artistic.

    "The computer has no say in what the final image looks like," he explains. "It comes from my imagination, and the computer merely helps me to translate my idea into an image.

    "If that's not art, perhaps I should go about chopping up cows or assembling piles of bricks in posh art galleries."

All images are the property of Mark A. Garlick and used with his permission. Any unauthorized use is strictly forbidden.

Cataclysmic Dawn

This cataclysmic binary star system is seen from a cave on a hypothetical watery and rocky planet. Admittedly, such a situation is highly unlikely to exist in reality, given the violent nature of these stars.

Proxima

Gliese 876

Gliese 876 is a star with a planetary system around it, one of well over a hundred now known. Both of the two known planets, which are giants, orbit the central star more closely than Mercury orbits our Sun. This cover image for Sky & Telescope magazine shows the innermost planet passing close to the star from beyond the outermost planet.

To see more of Mark's incredible artwork, take the saucer to his website!