The Museum of the Moon, the touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram, has landed at Carlisle Cathedral and now rests beneath the starry ceiling for which the Cathedral is so well known.
The Moon and I … at Carlisle Cathedral
To celebrate its arrival, Carlisle Cathedral invited the public to share their best photographs of the Moon taken in Cumbria.
The top five entries from The Moon and I Photography Competition have been professionally exhibited, and visitors can vote for their favourite.
The winning image will receive the Museum of the Moon People’s Choice Award and be featured across the Cathedral’s communications and social media channels.
The artwork, the Museum of the Moon measures seven metres in diameter and features detailed 120dpi NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the real Moon.
The Venerable Michael Everitt, Interim Dean of Carlisle, added:
“Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon inside Carlisle Cathedral, along with our stellar ceiling, enables us to see in close detail its landscape. There is no longer an obstacle for us to see it up close. In the setting of our stars, it is as if the heavens are close at hand. A divine view, accessible to all, in the heart of our city.”
Alongside the installation, an exhibition in the South Aisle explores our fascination with the night sky and the creation of Carlisle’s own celestial masterpiece, the Cathedral ceiling. Drawing on the Cathedral’s historic collections, it shows how the universe has been studied through the ages as a bridge between faith and science.
A special events programme offers many more ways to experience the Moon. Highlights include talks with Stuart Atkinson, the nationally recognised astronomy writer, educator and author, and live music from renowned musicians including Roger Sayer, Carrie Hope Fletcher and the Cathedral’s Assistant Organist, Edward Taylor. There are also Moon Lates with optional at-height Moon View Tours, a Photography Evening, and, for children, PJ Parties, Space Slime Workshops and Little Stars sessions.
Pre-booking is required for events, and details are available here.
