Brand new exhibition open for visit: Above and Beyond
Starting April 13 a brand new exhibition is open for visit, titled 'Above and Beyond: Making Sense of the Universe for 100 Years
Big Questions
The Above and Beyond exhibition showcases some of the most significant and surprising astronomical breakthroughs that have shaped science, technology and culture over the last century. The exhibition has an interdisciplinary and international scope, outlining that scientific discovery is not a one-off endeavour but a continuous process that takes decades to fully grasp and comprehend. It is underpinned by three core questions that are just as penetrating today as they were a century ago: What is the size and structure of the Universe? Is there life beyond the Earth? What powers the stars, how do they begin to shine and what happens when they die?
“The Above and Beyond exhibition provides a wonderful overview of the amazing discoveries in astronomy during the past century as well as the open questions about the Universe that we will address in the coming years. It also highlights the worldwide fascination with astronomy in everyday life”
Ewine van Dishoeck, IAU President and Leiden Astronomy Professor
The exhibition is part of the IAU’s 100th anniversary celebrations. To commemorate this milestone, the IAU is organising a year-long celebration to increase awareness of a century of astronomical discoveries and to support and improve the use of astronomy as a tool for education, development and diplomacy under the overarching theme Under One Sky.
Opening hours and tours
The visitor center is open in the weekend from 10:00 to 16:00 and is free to visit for people with a ticket for the Hortus Botanicus. During opening hours there are three walk-in tours to enjoy, at 11:30, 13:00 and 14:30. During a tour, an astronomy student will highlight some of the parts of the exhibition, as well as provide a visit to one of the Old Observatory's historic telescopes.