Celestial fashion just took a major leap forward with the registration of a Scottish tartan designed for "Mars science, exploration and outreach activities." Spotted and shared by MarsToday on Twitter, the tartan pattern comes packed with references to Mars' past and present.
Naturally, red is the dominant color, a nod to the planet's reddish surface hue and "Red Planet" nickname. The dark blue color evokes the planet's watery history. The green lines represent "Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, the presence of habitable conditions on the planet and the possible future presence of life in the form of human settlement," according to the Scottish Register of Tartans. Finally, the heavy white line references Mars' poles.
The weaving of this tartan pattern is restricted only to the designer, Geoffrey (Tailor), a kiltmaker and custom tartan weaver in Scotland. University of Edinburgh astrobiology professor Charles Cockell commissioned the tartan.
The tartan opens up some scintillating possibilities for Mars fashion. Imagine the first human expedition to Mars with astronauts decked out in tartan spacesuits and relaxing under a dome in Mars-tartan kilts. That's a vision for the future we can all get behind.
