Introduction: Simplified NASA CGI Moon Lamp

By Follow my bilibili：陳亮手痕定律

This instructable show a simple way to 3D print a Moon Lamp.

Step 1: My Moon Lamp Experience

This is the seventh instructables about Moon Lamp, I have 3D printed hundreds of Moon Lamp in this 5 years. And also hundred thousands of STL downloads from thingiverse users. Most user feedbacks is about the light source. I can buy various light source from Taobao but it may not easy to find at Amazon or ebay especially if using Lipo :(

My previous Moon Lamp Instructables:

Step 2: Seeking Common LED

Since I know the pain point of making a Moon Lamp is finding a good light source. I would like to modeling the Moon Lamp using the most common light source. I have tried to use IKEA SEKOND Cord Set at previous instructable. This time I would like to modeling a smaller one. The target is using a Waterproof LED powered by 2 CR2032 coin batteries.

Here are some link searching CR2032 Waterproof LED:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Submersible+Battery+Ope...

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Submersible+w...

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=Su...

https://www.banggood.com/search/submersible-waterp...

https://www.lightinthebox.com/index.php?main_page=...

https://www.dhgate.com/wholesale/search.do?act=sea...

https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=10%20Pack%20...

https://www.gearbest.com/sale/submersible-waterpro...

Step 3: NASA CGI Moon Kit

NASA released high resolution color map and bump map at 2019 Sept 6: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4720

They are created from data assembled by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter camera and laser altimeter instrument teams.

So I refreshed my Moon Lamp models based on these maps:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4102658

Step 4: Recap Moon Lamp Modeling

Unlike the Moon Lamp you can buy in the market that only modeling with color map, my Moon Lamp modeling with both color map and bump map. So it look like a Moon even you turn the light on or off.

You can find more discussion details in my previous instructables:

https://www.instructables.com/Progressive-Detail-M...

https://www.instructables.com/High-Detailed-Moon-L...

https://www.instructables.com/Print-Your-Own-Moon/

Step 5: LED Room Design

Here are the LED room design requirement:

  • fit and hide at the Moon Lamp bottom
  • improve LED light diffusion
  • easy install and operate
  • easy patching with large file size Moon Model (only 2 steps: subtract and merge)
  • easy 3D print without support

Attachments

Step 6: LED Room Patching

The patching for the light source are the second pain point in my experience.

Here are the steps I think are the simplest one:

  • Open the BanateCAD generated STL file in Windows 10 3D Builder
  • add "CR2032_LED_v1_add.stl"
  • add "CR2032_LED_v1_subtract.stl"
  • select "CR2032_LED_v1_subtract" object, select "Edit" menu, select "Subtract" and then wait
  • select all objects other than Moon Lamp and CR2032_LED_v1_subtract and then press delete
  • select all objects, select "Merge" and then wait
  • save

The above just show what I do the LED room patching, the steps are already done.

Step 7: 3D Print

Please download and print the 2.5 Inches NASA CGI Moon Kit 2019 Moon Lamp from thingiverse:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4622670

Remember setting infill to 100%. The 3D model is a hollow object, infill 100% means print a solid shell.

Step 8: Assembly

Simply push the LED into the Moon Lamp.

Step 9: Enjoy!