Monday, 02 June 2025
A new exhibition will allow visitors to step into the invisible world of space rocks with ultra-magnified images of samples from the moon and mars on display in the planetarium at the Sherwood Observatory.
Scientists from the Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre (nmRC) at the University of Nottingham have created the ‘Microscopic Meteorites’ exhibition that will feature close-up images of real fragments of meteorites from the Moon, Mars, Vesta, and the K-Pg boundary layer — linked to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The University has teamed up with the Sherwood Observatory for the first time to display the images in their Planetarium. The exhibition is the final part of a programme of space themed activities designed to help children from across Nottingham learn about the Universe, it opens on Friday 6th June.
The images have been created using Scanning Electron Microscopy or SEM. This is a powerful tool used to visualise the micro- and nano-structures of materials. It works by using a beam of negatively charged particles, called electrons, to scan the surface of the material, creating high-resolution images that show details as small as a few nanometres. One nanometre is approximately one hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a single human hair.
Nanoscale image of a sample of Martian Meteorite
The images will reveal beautifully coloured scans of meteorites and reveal hidden minerals and cosmic textures that a normal microscope would not show.
Lorelei Robertson is a technician at the University of Nottingham and created the images,
Being a geologist by training, I jumped at the opportunity to be able to image the meteorites for this art exhibition. I’ve always been in awe at how beautiful these are under the microscope, so being able to showcase that to the public, as well as educating people about these microscopic marvels is a real privilege. It feels so surreal that some of the images from hours and hours of work over the last few months will be visible for all to see.
Dr Luke Norman, Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the University of Nottingham has led the Summer of Space programme. He said: “Space is such an exciting area to explore but the tools to examine it closely are not widely available, by sharing the technology and expertise we have with people in an exciting and interactive way we hope to ignite an interest in space and science. Whether you’re a space enthusiast, a curious mind, or simply love a good story from the stars, this exhibition invites you to see meteorites in a whole new way — up close, in vibrant detail, and far beyond what the eye can see.
One of our aims at the Observatory is to inspire young people to consider careers in STEM subjects so we are thrilled to have worked with Nottingham University to bring this exciting exhibition and images to the public. In conjunction with Luke and the team we have been able to turn their beautiful images into an immersive experience in the planetarium that will create a real wow factor. We anticipate that thousands of visitors will see the exhibition over the summer, most of whom will never have experienced anything like this before.
This special exhibition will run for three months from Friday 6th June and is included with the purchase of all Sherwood Observatory Planetarium tickets.
Story credits
More information is available from Luke Norman on luke.norman2@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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