X

Liftoff at Yuri's Night (photos)

At the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., revelers mark Yuri's Night, an annual worldwide party that celebrates Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's first flight into space.

CNET Reviews staff
yuris-night-11.jpg
1 of 11 James Martin/CNET

Music and art

In a two-day celebration of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's first flight into space on April 12, 1961, thousands of people at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., joined revelers around the world Saturday for Yuri's Night. The party is now in its 10th year of commemorating the spirit and innovation of space exploration.

A day of student-focused workshops and speakers on Friday led into the weekend celebration that featured musicians and interactive art installations.

Beats Antique, the San Francisco-based experimental world fusion and electronic music group, perform inside the hangar at the research center on Saturday night.
yuris-night-4.jpg
2 of 11 James Martin/CNET

Astro

Separated from his crew during the show, an astronaut attempts to make contact with friendly life forms.
yuris-night-1.jpg
3 of 11 James Martin/CNET

Air show

Early Saturday evening, American and Soviet-era aircraft performed acrobatic maneuvers over Moffett Field, which is where the NASA Ames Research Center is located.
yuris-night-8.jpg
4 of 11 James Martin/CNET

Retro rocket

A climb into the 50-foot high retro-futurist rocket ship offers a great view of the sights spread out on the tarmac.
yuris-night-5.jpg
5 of 11 James Martin/CNET

Astronauts and aliens

Astronauts and aliens danced to the beat during Yuri's Night.
yuris-night-7.jpg
6 of 11 James Martin/CNET

Hangar One

One of the world's largest free-standing structures, Hangar One covers eight acres at NASA Ames. The building sits in the background as Les Claypool finishes his set on the outdoor stage Saturday night.
yuris-night-10.jpg
7 of 11 James Martin/CNET

Mars 3D imagery

Inside the hangar, exhibits showed off technology behind humanity's exploration of space. This large composite image offers a 3D view of the surface of Mars.
yuris-night-2.jpg
8 of 11 James Martin/CNET

SETI

The weekend featured speakers with otherworldly ideas such as SETI investigator Jon Jenkins and virtual worlds visionary Bruce Damer.
yuris-night-3.jpg
9 of 11 James Martin/CNET

Glitch Mob

Musical headlines at Yuri's Night included N.E.R.D., The Black Keys, Les Claypool, Common, The Glitch Mob, Hamsa Lila, and DJ Qbert.
yuris-night-6.jpg
10 of 11 James Martin/CNET

Beers and beats

Following the air show Saturday evening, a reveler makes her way across the tarmac toward the stage for Les Claypool.
yuris-night-9.jpg
11 of 11 James Martin/CNET

Lunar rider

This video game put you in the driver's seat of a mission to the moon.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos