Exhibition at the Deutsches Museum in Munich

Artist conception of the layout of a new Cosmic Evolution exhibition shown from 9 December 2009 at the world-renowned Deutsches Museum in Munich. There, visitors will be able to embark on the ultimate journey through time. A perfect grand finale to the International Year of Astronomy 2009, the exhibition is the result of a cooperation involving five local research institutions, including ESO, and is set for a two-year run. 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 such as oxygen, iron and gold that we take for granted on Earth.