The Spaces Between
Lachan Morlan
February 4th, 2026
Major: Physics (Astronomy)
Genre/Medium: Stained Glass
About the work:
The Spaces Between is a stained glass interpretation of the asteroid 16 Psyche, located within the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Rather than depicting Psyche as a literal object in space, this work focuses on the often-overlooked elements that define it: distance, motion, orientation, and the space that holds them all.
The composition centers Psyche as a dark, metallic form suspended within layered fields of glass. Each solder line radiating across the panel represents measured heliocentric distance, expressed in astronomical units (AU). Where these lines intersect the asteroid, they mark Psyche’s position within the solar system, its relationship to the Sun and to neighboring planetary bodies. Distance, often reduced to numerical values, becomes a visible and structural element of the artwork.
Horizontal solder lines adjacent to the asteroid encode Psyche’s rotational direction. These lines reference the asteroid’s spin state and its extreme axial tilt of approximately 98 degrees, meaning Psyche rotates nearly on its side. This unusual orientation challenges conventional expectations of planetary motion and is translated here into a quiet but deliberate shift in visual balance. Psyche is not upright or aligned; it is a body defined by inclination and constant turning.
Historically used to divide and transmit light, the stained glass mirrors how scientific understanding is constructed through observation and interpretation. As light passes through the glass, the appearance of the piece changes with angle and time, echoing how Psyche itself is observed differently depending on perspective and position in space.
Rather than focusing on surface detail or speculative imagery, The Spaces Between emphasizes what surrounds Psyche and how it moves within that vastness. The work invites viewers to consider space not as emptiness, but as an active, defining presence, one that shapes celestial bodies as profoundly as mass or composition. Psyche, here, is understood through the distances it spans and the spaces that hold it.
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