Explore the North East's contributions to telescopes and astronomy at the Great North Museum: Hancock

Newcastle University's Great North Museum: Hancock is preparing to launch the new family-friendly exhibition 'Space Investigators - Astronomy in the North East'. This multi-sensory exhibition aims to take visitors on an exciting journey into the hidden worlds of the Universe, with a particular focus on the North East's contributions to astronomy.   

North East England has played a significant role in the historical development of astronomy research, telescope design, and manufacturing, so there is much to discover and learn about the region's contributions to the field.  
 
Visitors to the exhibition will see historical instruments, including items crafted by former telescope manufacturer Grubb Parsons in Newcastle during the 1900s and Lord Admiral Collingwood's night telescope used in the Battle of Trafalgar. They can also get hands-on with interactive activities and view life-size reconstructions of the James Webb Space Telescope mirrors, shaping the future of telescopes and astronomy.   
 
From challenging ancient beliefs to the design of future giant telescopes, visitors can explore the cutting-edge cosmic exploration originating in the region, brought to life in collaboration with Newcastle, Northumbria and Durham universities. 

Malavika Anderson, Museum Manager at the Great North Museum: Hancock, said: 
“It is a great privilege for us at the museum to present Space Investigators, highlighting the enormous, and sometimes surprising, role that the North East has played in our understanding of space today. We look forward to welcoming visitors from across the region, and beyond, to this very special collaborative exhibition - featuring outstanding contemporary research alongside playful interactives and fascinating historical material!” 

Dr Victoria Fawcett, Research Associate in Astrophysics, Newcastle University, said: “I hope that visitors will come away from this exhibition with an even bigger sense of pride for the local region and enjoy learning about space and telescopes. Designing this exhibition has been both an exciting and challenging experience which could not have been achieved without all the incredible people who have contributed: from the historical research, running workshops at schools, building the interactives and more.” 
 
Dr Chris Harrison, Reader in Astrophysics & Future Leaders Fellow, Newcastle University, said: “We’re committed to making this exhibition as accessible as possible. Therefore, we’ve including features such as multi-sensory interactives and audio description of the exhibit’s information, which is available through our dedicated Space Investigators website. We’re delighted to have worked with local members of the community, specialised teachers, and school pupils on these features.” 
 
Full details of the exhibition's accessible features can be found at https://www.spaceinvestigators...  
 
‘Space Investigators - Astronomy in the North East’ runs from Saturday 30 March to Sunday 1 September 2024. Entry is free. For full details of opening times, events, and facilities available, please visit the Great North Museum: Hancock website: https://greatnorthmuseum.org.u...