CosmoCaixa exhibition shines light on humans' changing relationship with Sun

A new temporary exhibition at Barcelona's CosmoCaixa science museum shines a light on the Sun and humankind's changing relationship with our closest star.

Co-produced with London's Science Museum, the exhibition opened in the Catalan capital on Tuesday and features 100 historical and contemporary objects that tell the story of how our scientific understanding of the Sun has changed over the millenia.

From 3,000-year-old artefacts showing our ancestors' fascination with the brightest star in the sky to the latest technological advances in harnessing its energy, this exhibition charts humankind's everchanging perception of our star.

Climate change and the fossil fuel crisis will only strain our relationship with the Sun, the exhibition suggests.

Until October 16, 'The Sun: Living with Our Star' will allow visitors to discover the secrets of the Sun, which, as curator Harry Cliff explained, is "actually a pretty ordinary star, small, a yellow dwarf, but important for us."

"The whole history of the Earth has been dictated by its proximity to this star," the particle physicist told the Catalan News Agency on Tuesday.

As well as 100 artefacts, the exhibition will also feature images of the sun from the 17th century to the present day, as well as interactive and augmented reality experiences.

Humankind's endless fascination with the sun – from worship to solar energy and nuclear fusion – is explored across four themes: telling the time using the sun, using the sun's energy, the relationship between the sun and our health, and the study of the sun from an astrophysical point of view.

The exhibition runs from March 22 to October 16, 2022.