William Shatner, 'Star Trek' Fans Honor Leonard Nimoy with Epic Selfie Mosaic
More than 6,000 "Star Trek" fans are now part of a giant online tribute to Leonard Nimoy, who played the Vulcan Spock on the famed series.
Nimoy died earlier this year at age 83, prompting reminiscences from people worldwide — including his co-star and long-time friend William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk.)
A few days ago, Shatner, 84, posted a tweet asking fans to send selfies flashing the famous Vulcan salute that traditionally accompanies the phrase, "Live long and prosper." The big reveal came Sunday (Aug. 9), when Shatner posted a mosaic picture of Nimoy himself forming the sign, made up of the pictures the fans sent.
Shatner wrote that the mosaic was for a task related to the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen (G.I.S.H.W.H.E.S.), a contest hosted online by 'Supernatural' star Misha Collins.
"Why did I ask for all those #LLAP selfies? For a @gishwhes task as a tribute to Leonard. Thank you!" Shatner wrote on Twitter. "BTW," he added in another tweet, "@mishacollins we put this in for a World Record! Fingers crossed!"
Shatner is also planning to write a book about his long friendship with Nimoy.
Nimoy's passing has also has lent weight to another tribute: a documentary under production from his son, Adam. A few weeks ago, the documentary (called "For the Love of Spock") raised more than $650,000 through a crowdfunding campaign. Adam started the project before Nimoy's death and intended it, in part, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first airing of "Star Trek" in September 1966.
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In "Star Trek: The Original Series," Spock's character shows a balance between logical and emotional states from his Vulcan father and his human mother. In the 1960s series and through several movies, Spock served as one of Kirk's most trusted advisers. Nimoy's Spock also made appearances in the rebooted version of the Hollywood "Star Trek" franchise in films released in 2009 and 2013.
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Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace