As a child, many of us dreamed of a life of adventure, travelling to the furthest reaches our of solar system.  We may not have stuck with these career goals, but we can still surround ourselves with the mystery and beauty of outer space from the safety of our own homes!

Maria Elena is the talented artist behind Pulsar Moonlight – an Etsy store with a solid 5-star rating. It is here that she makes her out of this world creations available to the public!

Each lamp is hand painted, using the most up to date images from NASA as her reference point, using non-toxic paint to ensure that they are safe for any home. The base for her lamps are recycled outdoor/garden globes!

She offers a selection of planets including Mars, Jupiter and Neptune, alongside a number different unique variations on her original Moon Lamps. Maria Elena puts an astounding amount of detail and care goes into each lamp, harnessing her passion as an Italian astrophysicist as well as her talented, artistic side.

In an interview with Bored Panda, Maria Elena shared some of the behind the scenes details, describing the lengthy process it takes to create each unique piece. “Every moon has six layers, each to give a different effect, and to make one moon takes about 4-6 hours of work.”

“For the planet, it takes longer because there are more layers and, in some places, the color is very thick so it dries very slowly.”

“I use outdoor/garden globes (recycled or upcycled), that I hand-paint with atoxic materials using scientific pictures as a reference.”

“NASA often releases new images, so I have to study them and change my paints according to new discoveries.”

“It’s like the real moon you see up in the sky: you can tell the depressions, the craters, etc.”

“Every day, before painting, I do my yoga practice, to give to the moon a good vibe and energy.”

“As an astrophysicist I am quite rational, but I believe that… People can feel I have put my best efforts to give them something positive that can spread joy and peace.”

This labor of love began as a means to raise funds for a cause close to her heart – Animal Rescue. Maria Elena stated, “Until now (I started 2 years ago), every single penny I earned went to charity. I try to help any kind of animal, but, so far, I rescued only dogs and cats. At the moment, I live with 8 adult cats.”

If you would like to add one of these stunning creations to your home décor, they can be purchased through Pulsar Moonlight on Etsy.