Celestial inspiration will be no problem in 2013, thanks to NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day.

With the goal of helping us all “discover the cosmos”, NASA is releasing an incredible and little seen photograph of our universe each day, each stunning image is also accompanied by a brief but insightful explanation by a professional astronomer. 

From an astronaut fascinating self-portrait to a close-up look at Saturn, this website is a treasure trove for both outer-space enthusiasts and photographers alike. 

Click through the archives for some serious astronomy eye candies and learn something about our universe at the same time. 

via Design Taxi

Absolutely captivated by this entire series from photographer Tim Flach, who has taken seven years and an innovative approach to photography to not just shoot, but also truly understand his subject. 

As described in the description for his animal portrait book, More than Human: 

“By taking striking close-up shots of various animals, Tim attempts to demonstrate how close can animal gestures and poses get to those of the humans.

What looks like images of unselfconscious and spontaneous reactions of the animals, is actually a result of long research and observation done by the artist. Every animal responds differently to temperature changes, light, human presence and even sounds – some of them would feel better with the music on, while the other would get intimidated by it.”

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With the holidays on the horizon, its gems like Where, the Why, and the How, a new hardcover, that are going to help check off that gift to-do list that much quicker. Whimsical, wonderful and quirky? Check!

Published by Chronicle Books, answers to some of science’s most fun questions—like “Why do we blush?” or “What existed before the Big Bang?” are unveiled in delightful illustrations. The best parts, however, may be the contributions from 75 artists—free-form illustrations that riff on the scientific essays with as much literality or imagination as the artist chose.

The result of this collaboration is like a science book published by The New Yorker. Images range from 1980s textbooks homages (coral!) to dinosaur watercolors to Escherian mind-benders to straight-up trippy, surrealist work that would be at home on an album cover.

Read the full article here at Fast Company Design or purchase the book here!

Captivated by photographer Thomas Jackson’s “hovering sculptures” featured in this series, “Emergent Behavior.” Inspired by self-organizing, “emergent” systems in nature such as termite mounds, swarming locusts, schooling fish and flocking birds.. These images create an uneasy interplay between the natural and the manufactured, the real and the imaginary.” 

View full collection here.