Fly me to the Sun!
2 November 2000
ESA inaugurates the European Project on the SunOn 8/9 November, at Noordwijk in the Netherlands, the European Space Agency (ESA) will inaugurate the "European Project on the Sun" (EPOS), a travelling exhibition conceived and built by European youngsters who have spent the past eight months acting as solar scientists andcommunication experts working on various themes relating to the Sun.In an initiative mounted by ECSITE (European Collaborative for Science, Industry and Technology Exhibitions) with funding from the European Commission and under the supervision, coordination and co-sponsorship of ESA, five teams of youngsters (16-18 years old) from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands were selected and coordinated by European science museums from each of their countries (Musie des Sciences et des Techniques Parentville, B; Citi de lEspace Toulouse, F; Deutsches Museum Munich, D; Fondazione IDIS Naples, I; Foundation Noordwijk Space Expo Noordwijk, NL).
The teams each focused on a theme related to solar research: "How does the Sun work?" (I), "The Sun as a star" (F), "Solar activity" (NL), "Observing the Sun" (D), "Humans and the Sun" (B), and built exhibition "modules" that they will present at the inauguration, in the context of European Science and Technology Week 2000 (6-10 November), promoted by the European Commission.
During the two-day event, a jury of representatives of other European science and technology museums, ESA scientists, a science journalist, and two ESA astronauts (Frank de Winne and Andre Kuipers) will judge the youngsters exhibition modules on the basis of their scientific correctness, their museological value and the commitment shown by the young "communication experts". The winning team will be officially announced on 9 November. The prize is a weekend at the Space Camp in Redu, Belgium.
The objective of the European Project on the Sun is educational. It aims, through the direct and "fresh" involvement of youngsters, to heighten European citizens awareness of space research in general and the Suns influence on our daily lives in particular. The role of the European Space Agency as reference point in Europe for solar research has been fundamental to the project.
From ESAs perspective, EPOS is part of this autumns wider communication initiative called the Solar Season, which is highlighting ESAs Ulysses, SOHO and Cluster solar missions and their results. These missions are also being presented by ESA at the EPOS exhibition, giving an overview of current European solar science.
After its inauguration, the travelling exhibition will move through Europe for the next year, hosted in turn by the five museums that have participated in the project.
Media representatives wishing to attend the exhibitions inauguration on 9 November are kindly requested to complete the accreditation form, please see ESA Press Release N0 71-2000.
Programme of the event - 9 November 2000
Noordwijk Space Expo, Keplerlaan 3 - Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Start of event
10:00 Welcome by ESA representative
10:10 Welcome by ECSITE representative
Youngsters presentations
10:20 Fondazione IDIS - Citt` della Scienza (I)
10:40 Musie des Sciences et des Techniques de Parentville (B)
11:00 Space Expo (NL)
11:20 Deutsche Museum (D)
11:40 Citi de l'Espace (F)
12:00 Coffee break, Jury deliberations
12:30 Jury chairmans announcement of the winner
13:00 End of event
For more information please contact:
ESA Communication Department
Media Relations Office
Tel: +33 1 5369 7155
Fax: +33 1 5369 7690
ESA - Science Programme Communication Service
Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 71 565 3183
Fax: +31 71 565 4101