The Original Orrery 1712

From this autumn, London’s Science Museum will host The Sun: Living With Our Star, an exhibition which will explore the earth’s relationship with the sun.

Opening on 6th October and running until 6th May 2019, the new exhibition will offer interactive experiences and unique artefacts to portray the ‘awesome power, beauty and dark side of the sun’.

Group travel organisers can book tickets now to see The Sun: Living With Our Star, which is being called the ‘most comprehensive exhibition of its kind ever staged’.

From Nordic history to NASA

From beautiful early Nordic Bronze Age artefacts that reveal ancient beliefs of how the sun was transported across the sky, to details of upcoming NASA and ESA solar missions, this exhibition will chart humankind’s dependence upon and ever-changing understanding of our star.

Animations, archive recordings and film will bring to life a collection of scientific instruments, technological innovations and historic artefacts.

Highlights from the Science Museum collection will include the original orrery, made for the Earl of Orrery in 1712 to demonstrate the motions of the earth and moon around the sun.

There will also be an astronomical spectroscope made for Norman Lockyer, founder of the Science Museum, who used it to identify the element helium in 1868.

The exhibition will also include significant loans, including a yang-sui from China, a rare bronze concave mirror designed to use sunlight for lighting fires.

Ian Blatchford, director of the Science Museum, said, “Since people first looked up at the sky the sun has been a source of fascination, awe and inspiration and I am sure that this exhibition will delight, inspire and amaze visitors of all ages when it opens in October.

The Sun: Living With Our Star will take people on a richly visual and action-packed adventure filled with remarkable stories, people and artefacts.”

For further information visit www.sciencemuseum.org.uk.

(Photo credit: Science Museum Group Collection).