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London is known for many things – top-class food, music and culture, to name a few of the city’s great draws – but the capital, with its high levels of light pollution, isn’t great for stargazing. Fortunately you won’t need to find high ground or a clear night to see a new celestial sight in the capital.
Artist Luke Jerram is bringing a scientific replica of the reflective orb up close and personal to the Royal Observatory Greenwich in the New Year. Jerram, an artist known for his large-scale celestial works, will put his latest sculpture, ‘Mirror Moon’, on show in March 2026.
‘Mirror Moon’ is a two-metre-wide mirrored steel duplicate of the real deal using accurate topographic data from NASA of the Moon’s surface. Visitors will be able to run their hands over imitations of our celestial sister’s craters, valleys, mountains and lava fields that are visible from Earth. You’ll also be able to feel your way around the deeply cratered surface on the previously mysterious ‘far side’ of the Moon.
It’s fitting that the exhibition will be at Greenwich Observatory, which has been observing the satellite for 350 years. The astronomical institution is also the place where sailors learned a method to determine their position at sea depending on the distance between them and the Moon.
Jerram said: ‘For more than two decades, the Royal Observatory Greenwich has been inspiration for my work as an artist and so it’s an absolute privilege to be commissioned to create this new sculpture for the Museum and to be part of its story.
‘I hope “Mirror Moon” will inspire generations of visitors to have an interest in contemporary science, art and the wonder of the night’s sky.’
This isn’t the first time the British artist has displayed his work in Greenwich. At the start of the year, Jerram hung a huge sculpture of the sun in the Old Royal Naval College’s Painted Hall.
Liz Avery, Head of Astronomy at the Royal Observatory, said: ‘The Moon has been a source of intrigue and wonder for centuries.
‘We are thrilled to be working with Luke Jerram to unlock some of its mysteries through his Mirror Moon and share them with our visitors.’
Tickets cost £24 for adults and £12 for children and include admission to the Royal Observatory. The exhibition is on display from March 3, 2026. For more information visit here.
Looking for more things to do in Greenwich? Here is Time Out’s guide to the area.
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