Tom Blachford’s Latest “Midnight Modern” Photographs

Breathtaking images that capture Palm Springs modernist homes and period automobiles by the light of the moon

There is a long list of place around the world that have been so extensively photographed one wonders if it’s even possible to cast them in new light, present something new, or keep the mythos alive. Palm Springs falls upon that list with its decades of modernist architecture set amongst a stark desert backdrop. And yet Melbourne-based photographer Tom Blachford continues to capture its essence …

Watch the Shadow of Mercury Cross the Sun in Real Time

The Transit of Mercury—an astrological event that takes place just 13 times per century—is currently underway. The event occurs when our solar system’s smallest planet, Mercury, appears to cross the sun from Earth; producing a tiny, dot-sized shadow moving across the massive face of the glowing sun. The phenomenon is only viewable by telescope and other special equipment, but if you’d like to catch the …

Isao Tomita: Arabesque No. 1

84-year-old composer and synth soothsayer Isao Tomita passed away this weekend in Tokyo. He introduced the near-infinite possibilities of a relatively new invention, the Moog modular synthesizer to Japan—approaching the instrument like an orchestra that could express sounds and “colors” never heard before, and evoke sensual qualities. Especially loved was his 1974 album Snowflakes Are Dancing (with the impressive subtitle: Virtuoso Electronic Performances of Debussy’s …