The Shield of Achilles (Night Sky over Troy)
Cans, cables, LED lights
Dimensions variable
2009

This installation is an illuminated star map of the night sky as it appeared during the siege of Troy. This star map, comprised of 384 cans hanging from the ceiling, each illuminated by a single light bulb and punctured with a small hole representing a single star, is based on the Almagest, Ptolemy's original catalog of the 48 constellations named by the ancient Greeks. The magnitude and wavelength of each star is accurately depicted by the size of the hole and the color of the light. The hanging height of each star is determined by its distance (in light years) from Earth.