Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

An eight pointed star with 7 of the star points each a different colour associated with a stellar spectral class. Those spectral classes are designated by the letters, OBAFGKM and that order is often learned with a mnemonic, "Oh Be A Fine Girl/Guy Kiss Me," which is stitched around the star.
Royal Astronomical Society
Licence type
Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Title: Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

Description:

"The square shows an eight pointed star with 7 of the star points each a different colour associated with a stellar spectral class. Those spectral classes are designated by the letters, OBAFGKM and that order is often learned with a mnemonic, "Oh Be A Fine Girl/Guy Kiss Me," which is stitched around the star."

Maker: Terry Connor, Outreach Coordinator for the Kansas City Astronomical Society; Retired US Navy Officer and science educator

Techniques used: Foundation paper piecing to sew the pointed star and hand embroidery for the lettering.

Inspiration: 

"A Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram charts spectral class, luminosity and mass of stars. I liked the idea of bringing together the precision pieced star pattern with the colors associated with spectral classes of stars. The star pattern is one designed by Violet Craft and is called the atomic starburst quilt. As an educator I am always looking for ways to make science accessible and memorable for students, so including the mnemonic for the spectral class order was a fun detail.

It has been such fun to combine my love of astronomy and quilting to create a small piece that will hopefully someday be a part of the bicentennial celebration quilt at the Royal Astronomical Society. The online sessions have been a great encouragement during months of isolation due to covid-19 restrictions. In a profession (astronomy) dominated by men, it has been especially fun to meet online with so many talented women who share common interests in astronomy and fabric arts."

Social media / website: Astronomical Society of Kansas City