With temperatures reaching millions of degrees, the Sun would certainly leave solar travellers with a few scorch marks. Yet a new exhibition opening at MOTAT allows visitors to get hands-on with Earth’s star at room temperature – no sunscreen required!
The journey begins in the gas and dust of the Sun’s formation. Visitors take the role of a photon on its trip through space, and can test their speed against a beam of light by racing to the Moon. Discover first-hand how light is created, see how mankind harnesses the Sun’s power in everyday devices and explore what the Sun sounds like by climbing inside a giant inflatable replica of the sun to find out.
Aglow with a galaxy of exciting science, Sunlight - Ihi Kōmaru will help the whole family understand the forces that sustain life on Earth – and indeed drive the entire universe.
Sunlight - Ihi Kōmaru is developed and toured by Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and History in Palmerston North. This significant science-based exhibition, presented in both English and Te Reo Māori, is the 2016 winner of the New Zealand Museums Award for ‘Regional Science and Technology’.