Posts by Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and a historian of early modern Britain & the Atlantic world. She holds a BA in History and Mathematics from Brown University and an MA in European & Russian Studies from Yale University. Madeleine has worked in archives and museums for years with a particular focus on photography and arts education. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, film photography, and studying law while cuddling with her cat Georgia.
Astronomy
January 6, 2021

Astrophotographer Captures Extraordinary Details of Moon’s Surface in 209-Megapixel Photo

With the United States hoping to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024, exploring Earth’s natural satellite has received more popular attention in recent years. But astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy has his own type of moon mission—one he pursues from his own backyard in Sacramento, California. For several years, McCarthy has been refining his techniques to produce increasingly high resolution and detailed images of the Moon's surface.

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Renaissance Art
December 31, 2020

What Is a Reliquary? Here’s a Short Introduction To the Bejeweled Medieval Vessels

The veneration of saints was a fundamental feature of medieval Christianity. The remaining relics of these holy people took on new religious significance in the early Middle Ages. As objects of veneration and pilgrimage, the physical remains of the holy and their belongings required some of the finest works of medieval metallurgy and artistry: reliquaries. These purpose-built containers were typically constructed of precious materials and often depicted scenes from the saint's life and Biblical history.

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Astronomy
December 18, 2020

NASA Releases 30 New Space Images for 30th Anniversary of the Hubble Telescope’s Launch

It's the Hubble Telescope's 30th birthday, and NASA is celebrating by releasing over 50 new images of 30 famous celestial objects. Astronomy enthusiasts can rejoice in this collection of photographs, taken by the famous telescope over the years since its launch in 1990. All 30 celestial objects featured—galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters—are part of the Caldwell catalog, a list of 109 space objects bright enough to be seen with amateur telescopes or even binoculars.

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Books
December 11, 2020

16 of the Best Children’s Picture Books to Gift and Cherish

Do you remember your favorite book as a child? The books we read when young stay with us throughout our lives—whether we recognize their influence or not. Perhaps you practiced your first halting reading with Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, or learned the dual importance of bravery and caution through the Madeline series by Ludwig Bemelmans. Today’s youngsters are learning to read in a new golden age of children's literature.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.