Closer to the SUN than you have ever been!

SUN installation

AfricaMuseum April 05 - 24, 2022. Tickets and info.

Marvel at the beauty of our closest star with this lifelike representation of the sun. A 3D projection with state-of-the-art images form the SDO/AIA telescope on a gigantic, hanging 6 meter diameter balloon shows 10 weeks of the life of our Sun. Smoke and sound effects mimic the Sun’s outer atmosphere to complete the unique experience. This light artwork brings you closer to the sun than you have ever been before!

SUN is an installation by British artist Alex Rinsler and solar expert Prof. Robert Walsh (University of Central Lancashire). With this installation in the AfricaMuseum, in cooperation with the STCE, the spectacular artwork is shown outside the United Kingdom for the very first time.

The sun is the determining factor for life and climate on this globe. Through human activity, climate change is one of the most pressing issues faced by society today. This exhibit in the Small Rotunda of the AfricaMuseum also presents world-leading research on the Sun and Earth's climate carried out at both scientific institutions.

Here you can see how the installation of SUN works. Soon we will be setting up the artwork at the AfricaMuseum. Visit this STCE page for regular updates on the exhibit and the set-up.

SUN is ready to go!

All equipment needed to install SUN at the museum is packd in flight cases. They are dutifully guarded by our technical crew. The equipment and crew will travel from the UK to Brussels next week and we will start setting up the artwork on April 1. Stay tuned for more updates!

SUN has arrived

After a long delay at customs (thanks Brexit!), the SUN kit and crew finally made it to the AfricaMuseum. Museum and SUN technicians are eagerly unboxing all material and waitingh for the last deliveries. The text panels are already set up!

At the STCE we want you to be entertained and astonished by the beauty and complexity of the SUN. During the school holidays, we will be present at the museum on certain days to tell tales about the wonderous sun. During school visits to the museum, we will also be ready to explain the mechanisms of solar activity and the research we perform.

The STCE has many other public outreach activities that may interest you. We give public lectures and trainings on the sun and space weather. We organize workshops, meetings and open doors. We have experience in talking to school children and students from 3 to 25 years, tailored to their needs. Contact us if you are interested in a collaboration!