While I continue to fuss over which of my walk-in-closet-full of space-themed ball gowns I should wear to this year’s Astronomy Awards, I thought I’d share my predictions for who will win in each category. Below are some of the nominees, along with my picks.
Best Picture is a tough call.
I found The Fall of Icarus impressive, but somewhat contrived. The Butterfly Star was visually cool, though a bit too trippy for my taste. And when I viewed The Eye of Sauron, I found myself thinking, “What in the blazars is this? Some sort of arthouse thing?” The Andromeda Core, however, delivered stunning cinematography and kept me thoroughly enthralled—so that’s my choice. (Click the links and see if you agree.)
In the category of Best Supporting Telescope in a Cosmic Drama, the Vera Rubin Observatory is the clear standout. Its debut this past year was nothing short of a tour de force.
Best Special Effects is a toss-up. Aurora Borealis is widely expected to take home the golden statue—its solar studio produced multiple sequels in a single year, many of them among the highest-grossing shows of all time. Still, 31/ATLAS deserves serious consideration: its portrayal of an alien object—while not actually being one—was remarkably convincing, you must admit.
For Best Costume, NASA—partnering with renowned fashion house Prada—will surely win for the Artemis III xEMU spacesuits. Take that, SpaceX, whose Dragon suits remain boxy and unflattering at best.
And if you tune in to this red-carpet event (which I’m sure you will), expect to be moved to tears when the Hubble Space Telescope receives a Lifetime Achievement Award. Please don’t send irate emails insisting “Voyager was robbed”—I was not actually a judge in this.
Correction: This article refers to the “Astronomy Awards,” which are not, in fact, a real thing.
