Southwark Cathedral will have a huge floating moon filling the nave for a few weeks, as Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon takes up residence.
Museum of the Moon (c) Southwark Cathedral
Measuring seven metres in diameter, the replica of the moon features high resolution NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface.
That simple explanation is however to belittle what an exceptional experience this display is. A room with a giant balloon shouldn’t be that exciting, but it really does pack a punch.
One of the more curious aspects is that photos can’t render the moon as it is – as a globe. They all look eerily flat — highly detailed, beautiful indeed, but so flat that the moon looks like a cut-out glued on top of a photo. Even in the physical presence, as you wander around, there’s the nagging doubt that it’s not a giant balloon, but some clever optical illusion always presenting a flat circle to the viewer.
The Museum of the Moon will be at Southwark Cathedral from Tuesday 10th to Saturday 28th October 2023, with a number of late openings, and peaceful mornings as well.
Daytime tickets
Tickets are being sold in 30 minute intervals during the day.
- Adult: £3
- Children (4-17): £1.50
- Children (0-3): Free
- Family (2 x Adults 2 x Paying Children): £7.00
Tickets are on sale from here.
Evening tickets
There are also Lunar Lates on selected evenings when the Cathedral will be open to 9pm – and tickets for those are here.
- Adult: £6
- Children (4-17): £3
- Children (0-3): Free
- Family (2 x Adults 2 x Paying Children): £15
Early morning tickets
Monday mornings between 9.30am and 11am are set aside for those who may have neurodiverse conditions, those with dementia, or anyone who may benefit from a bit more space and less stimulation. Those tickets are here.
Leave a Reply