It takes just about 27 days for the Moon we all know and love to make its way around the Earth, but it’s going to take far longer for a giant model of the Moon to do the same. Museum of the Moon is an art exhibit that provides visitors with an up-close-and-personal look at our planet’s only natural satellite, and it’s currently traveling between festivals and universities so that everyone can experience its awesomeness.
Created by artist Luke Jerram, Museum of the Moon is described as “a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound composition.” In practical terms, it’s a huge model of the Moon measuring 30 feet in diameter, with every square inch of its sphere covered in ultra high-resolution NASA imagery of the lunar landscape. At 1:500,000 scale, each centimeter of the manmade Moon represents just over three miles of the real lunar surface.
The idea behind the project is to showcase how the Moon has impacted civilization since the dawn of mankind. To that end, the touring artwork will collect new bits of Moon lore from each place it visits, bringing new stories, beliefs, and traditions to every new location. The mini Moon has already visited France, the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and will hop between festivals in Europe for much of the remainder of 2017.
