You know that they always say: reach for the moon and even if you miss you’ll land among the… Natural History Museum. Well, it’s certainly what they say now – because you can quite literally reach for the moon at the Natural History Museum‘s brand new exhibition. The first exhibition in the much-loved museum’s 144-year history that will be dedicated entirely to space exploration.
The Natural History Museum’s scientists continue to work on international space missions, searching for life beyond Earth. The immersive family-friendly exhibition is rooted in the museum’s latest scientific researchand is set to deliver fascinating fun by the rocket-load.
Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?
Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? invites Londoners and beyond to join the ongoing search for life in space. The brand new blockbuster exhibition will give visitors the chance to wrap their hands around actual meteorites that are billions of years old, including real pieces of the Moon and Mars that have fallen to Earth from space.
With over 60 fascinating objects on displayvisitors will also be able to get up-close-and-personal with the likes of never-before-seen space rocks, the parachute that NASA practised asteroid Bennu’s return to Earth on, and fragments of asteroid Ryugu (thought to be one of the first deliverers of water to Earth).
Jam-packed with interactive activities, Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? will bring the sights, sounds and even the smells of space to South Kensington, having installed smell pods that recreate the scents of space. There will be the opportunity to witness a day in the life on Mars, take a look at the SETI device (the thing that keeps an eye out for signals produced by other technologically advanced civilisations) , and learn about ESA’s Juice spacecraft that is currently on its way to Jupiter’s moons.
Lead scientist on the exhibition, Professor Caroline Smithsays: “Space exploration has captured our imagination since humans walked the Earth. From cave art to Buzz Lightyear, the mystery of what lies beyond Earth is too tantalising to ignore – and today there is more evidence than ever before that life could exist beyond Earth. Informed by the latest findings from space missions and using the data held in our world-leading meteorite collection, we are simply over the moon to share with you what we know so far about the search for life in space.”
Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? will run at the Natural History Museum until February 2026. Find out more and plan your visit here.
