Where no gourd has gone before | Space photo of the day for Aug. 28, 2025

A large sculpture of the USS Enterprise from 'Star Trek' is created entirely out of pumpkins, and sits above a patch of orange pumpkins outside on a grassy lawn.
The Enterprise, a ship from 'Star Trek' is created entirely of pumpkins and exhibited outside a castle in Germany. (Image credit: THOMAS KIENZLE/Getty Images)

Every autumn, Ludwigsburg Castle in Germany transforms its grounds to host the world's largest pumpkin exhibition. Every year brings its own theme. For 2025, the focus was "Big Movies," which invited creators to reimagine cinematic icons using gourds as their medium.

What is it?

Among the many exhibits sprawled across the castle's lawn, the USS Enterprise from the popular sci-fi series 'Star Trek,' was particularly eye-catching. Using smaller, light-colored pumpkins, the artist created the main body of the ship, complementing this base color with brown pumpkins for the rim of the ship's saucer.

Where is it?

This photo was taken at Ludwigsburg Castle in Ludwigsburg, southern Germany.

The USS Enterprise towers over the lawns of Ludwigsburg Castle. (Image credit: THOMAS KIENZLE/Getty Images)

Why is it amazing?

Hundreds of artists come together to be a part of this pumpkin exhibit every year. For the "Big Movies" theme, other exhibits included iconic images such as Harry Potter, dinosaurs from Jurassic Park and Superman.

The Enterprise sculpture display merges the futuristic inspirations of 'Star Trek' with the age-old tradition of pumpkin carving. It shows how influential science fiction content like 'Star Trek' can be throughout the decades as it resonates with fans and visitors alike.

Want to learn more?

You can read more about the history of 'Star Trek' and the iconic USS Enterprise.

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Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Content Manager at Space.com. Formerly, she was the Science Communicator at JILA, a physics research institute. Kenna is also a freelance science journalist. Her beats include quantum technology, AI, animal intelligence, corvids, and cephalopods.

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