18.11.2009 —

A new exhibition at the Deutsches Museum allows visitors to experience cosmic history as never before. „Evolution of the Universe“, which opens December 9, 2009, is  the result of a cooperation involving five local institutions: ESO, the Excellence Cluster Universe, and the Max Planck Institutes for Physics, Astrophysics, and Extraterrestrial Physics. Created as part of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, the exhibition will be open to all visitors of Deutsches Museum.

This exhibition takes visitors back 13.7 billion years to the Big Bang. They will be able to follow the paths and byways of cosmic evolution, from the birth of space, time and matter to the formation of the network of filaments of galaxy clusters that is the Universe's large-scale structure. Back in the present, we explore the life cycles of stars, the structure and evolution of galaxies ? including the role played by those enigmatic objects, black holes ? before catching a glimpse of the future: What do scientists know about our universe's ultimate fate? 

Credit: Die Werft

Weaving together astronomy, astro-, nuclear and particle physics, the exhibition offers a comprehensive view of cosmic history, which includes multimedia presentations of cutting-edge research. Hands-on experiments allow visitors to unravel the mysteries of the cosmic background radiation - the electromagnetic echo of the Big Bang - discover the crucial role of dark matter, and find out about the origin of elements we Earthlings take for granted, such as oxygen, iron and gold.

Covering an area of 100 square meters, the large circular hall that hosts „Evolution of the Universe“ is part of the museum's astronomy department on the 4th floor. Design and production of the exhibition were in the capable hands of „Die Werft“, a company whose portfolio includes the conception and realisation of several departments and exhibitions in the Deutsches Museum.

The exhibition is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm at Deutsches Museum, Museumsinsel 1, 80535 Munich. 

On behalf of the organizing institutions, journalists and other media representatives are cordially invited to the opening press conference at Deutsches Museum on December 8, 2009, at 11 am. After the press conference, there will be a guided tour of the exhibition. Please confirm your attendance by contacting Alexandra Wolfelsperger, info@universe-cluster.de, phone: 089-35831-7106, no later than December 1, 2009.