Scenes From Yuri's Night 2016

By Bixyl Shuftan

Tuesday April 12 was "Yuri's Night," an international celebration among space fans to celebrate the anniversary of the launch of the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, in 1961. Sometimes called the "world space party," there are small events around the world. Among them was one set up by the International Space Museum and the National Space Society's chapter in Second Life (more info can be read at the event's website - https://yurisnight.net/)

 The party started at Noon SL time high above the Spaceport Bravo sim at (124/128/1601), with Arisia Vita playing "Russian-inspired piano selections." From 12:30 to 4PM was the "long party," with Eifachfilm Vacirca and Emileigh Starbrook DJed "An eclectic supersonic flight through space and time." I arrived a little after 3, one telling me, "It's thinned out some since the start, but we've had great music and discussions."

There were freebies available for those dropping in, "Be sure to grab the goodies from below the stage." The package contained a jumpsuit, pendant, helmet, a "I (heart) Yuri" t-shirt, a mug with a drinking animation, and a Russian dance animation.

Some people were enjoying them right at the scene.

"Oh, and for the curious, the bread and salt on the tables here is the traditional Russian symbol of hospitality. ... During Apollo-Soyuz, the Cosmonauts greeted the Astronauts with salt tablets and crackers! ... ts a big cultural thing in that part of the world." Someone made a joke about salt licks for deer, "explains a lot about the Russians, I think."

Someone had a cosmonaut suit from the first Yuri's Night celebration in Second Life.

And where there is space, there are aliens.

Asterion Coen gets a little "cubed."

A look at the dance area from a distance with the viewer at Midnight. It looked pretty "Far out."

At 4PM, the party moved to the Sagan Planetarium at Aspen (200/120/3730)

The Planetarium's designated dance area was set up in their Solar system display. Normally the music stream would be playing "the audio portion of the tour." This time it was playing music. For a few minutes, it would show the Sun and planets going around it.

Then it would switch to one at a time.

Clicking on the planet would show a cross-section view.

Above the planets, and the moons in orbit around them, there were some statistics displayed overhead.

This included Pluto, which since the discovery of certain bodies beyond it's orbit in the first years of the 21st Century has been reclassified as a "dwarf planet" and not a full one since 2006. Still a source of controversy among space nuts

There was a contest for the best science-fiction look, and there were a number.

 Among them, one guy in a saucer abducting a steer, "Eep! It's molesting a cow!" "Yay cow molestation!"

And yours truly got into the act: "Foxes in space."

At one point, someone rezzed a platoon of "Star Wars" stormtroopers. Oddly, one of them was pink, for reasons not given.

There was a "symphony of science-fiction mashups," from theme musics of "Star Trek" and "Star Wars," to "Doctor Who," "Star Blazers," Battlestar Galactica," "Mars Attacks," and more. Of the "Star Wars," someone joked, "Careful ... , this is technically Disney music now, and you know how lawsuit happy they can be about public performances."

There was also a triva contest, in which winners for a few Lindens for right answers. And there were a number of discussions about science-fiction and space science.

It was a fun time for sci-fi fans and space nuts alike.

Bixyl Shuftan

Yuri's Night 2015

On Sunday April 12, the "Yuri's Night" celebration took place in the Sci-Lands in Second Life. To begin with, Yuri's Night is not an event specific to the Grid, but a worldwide event among space enthusiasts that began in 2001 as a celebration of manned space flight, held on both the anniversary of the first manned flight in space by Yuri Gagarin in 1961, and the date of the first flight of the space shuttle exactly 20 years later.

The event's website states, "Yuri’s Night is a global celebration of humanity’s past, present, and future in space. Yuri’s Night parties and events are held around the world every April ... Yuri’s Night events combine space-themed partying with education and outreach. These events can range from an all-night mix of techno and technology at a NASA Center, to a movie showing and stargazing at your local college, to a gathering of friends at a bar or barbecue." The 2011 celebrations were described as being attended by over 100,000 people in over 500 events, including the one then in Second Life then.

The event was sponsored by the National Space Society's Second Life chapter and the International Space Museum. From Noon SL time to about 4PM, the celebrations took place high above the Spaceport Bravo sim. Cypress Rosewood performed music from about 1 to 2 PM. After that, Emileigh Stanbrook DJed the music.

There was a variety of avatars, often with space themes such as spacesuits.

And of course, aliens.

At 4PM, the party moved to the Sagan Planetarium at Aspen (199, 140, 3721).

The place had a number of exhibits where one can fill up on space knowledge. But today, the action was in the star and planet display room.

The place took advantage of what Second Life could offer, showing stars, constelations, and planets all around, not just the ceiling. And yes, there were moons, "We're getting mooned here."

There was a costume contest, with the first prize being a free Kerbal Space Program game from Steam. One guy showed up in a Kerbal astronaut avatar.

As time went on, more people showed up. People would chat about various things from the space program, to astronomy, to science fiction movies. And there were the jokes, "Robin are you dressed as an asteroid or is my client dying?"

Drinks were available, thanks to an astromech droid avatar.

 Spacesuits weren't just among those with two legs.

 As more people showed up, along with the music, the display provided visual as well as audio treats. Among the tunes were "Surprise," about the Sputnik launch, and "She Blinded Me With Science."

 With Uranus in view though, sometimes the jokes got a little cheeky. "Do you have Asteroids?" "No but my Dad does. Some days he can hardly sit down." Funny how the seventh planet used to be pronounced "yer-ay-nus," and after the Voyager probe flyby people began saying "yer-uh-nuhs."

Of the contest, the winner was ExpeditiousPony Resident , who won the Kerbal Space Program game and  664L of a 2000 Linden pot. Honorable mentions were JustinEvander Resident, BrinleyTaliesin Resident, and Gyro Muggins.

And so another Yuri's night came and went, as only Second Life's science fans could deliver.

Bixyl SHUftan