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Oxford park ‘has best views in Universe’

25 August 2009

A new exhibition opening Saturday 29 August will take visitors to Oxford on a tour of some of the most beautiful sights in the Universe.
 
The free exhibition, entitled ‘From Earth to the Universe’, will take visitors on a pictorial journey through space using 28 three-metre wide panels installed in Oxford’s University Parks.
 
The panels feature dramatic views of the Universe at an ever-expanding scale. Where early panels focus on our Moon and Sun, just light seconds away, later ones stretch billions of light years back to the birth of the Universe in the Big Bang. The panels also provide insights into the science behind different cosmic phenomena, such as lunar eclipses and solar flares.
 
Three panels have been produced specifically for Oxford, one featuring promising young researchers, another showing what visitors can expect to see in the local night sky in September and a final one encouraging everyone to get involved in the Galaxy Zoo citizen-science project.
 
From Earth to the Universe is a cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy, which runs throughout 2009. Since January this exhibition has travelled the country visiting cities including Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff. Similar exhibitions have been held around the world in locations from China to Puerto Rico.
 
The exhibition is just one of a number of astronomical events happening this month, with Oxford University’s Department of Physics, the Museum of the History of Science, and Science Oxford all hosting space-related activities, from a build-your-own telescope workshop to an exploration of the possibility of making beer from interstellar dust.
 
From Earth to the Universe runs in University Parks from Saturday 29th August until Saturday 26th September.
 
University Parks are open from 7.45am until dusk daily, and can be found on Parks Road, OX1 3PU. Entrance is free and open to members of the public.
 
For more information please contact Lorna Stevenson on 01865 282447 or email l.stevenson1@physics.ox.ac.uk 

Notes to editors

  • More information on the Oxford event at http://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/fettu/
  • Photos from previous events are available at http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/event_photos.php
  • From Earth to the Universe is funded in the UK by the Royal Astronomical Society. Oxford-specific panels are funded by the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics.
  • The University of Oxford’s Department of Physics will host a public lecture by Dr Andrew Walsh, Director of James Cook University Centre of Astronomy entitled “Complex molecules in space and can we make beer out of them?” on Wednesday 9th September at 5.45pm in the Martin Wood Lecture Theatre. Post-lecture samples will be available.
  • The Museum of the History of Science will hold ‘Galileo's Telescope: discover the secrets of Galileo’s invention and make your own working telescope’ on Saturday 5th September from 2-4pm. Suitable for ages 9-13, voluntary materials donation £5, booking required on 01865 277280.
  • For details of talks, workshops and events happening at Science Oxford see: www.scienceoxford.com