What happens when stars explode, black holes consume matter, or particles race through space at nearly the speed of light? The planetarium show Our Exotic Universe takes you on a fascinating journey of discovery to the most extreme places in the cosmos – and introduces you to the people who explore them.
More than 100 scientists from our region peer into the depths of the universe using state-of-the-art telescopes and complex calculations. They investigate particles of cosmic radiation as well as forms of light often invisible to the human eye, ranging from radio waves to gamma rays.
The journey leads to telescopes around the world. They detect radiation produced by processes whose energy can far exceed that of the largest particle accelerator on Earth. The adventure even takes us deep beneath the eternal ice of Antarctica, where a very special instrument detects neutrinos arriving from space.
We find ourselves inside the remnant of a stellar explosion, where particles reach enormous energies before beginning their journey through the cosmos. We witness gigantic magnetic fields causing entire galaxies to glow in radio light, and experience how gas at the edge of a massive black hole in the center of a galaxy is heated to extreme temperatures – even tearing an entire star apart.
One thing becomes clear: the very largest structures in the universe are closely connected to the very smallest particles – and often the key to understanding lies in a strange object deep in space.
Join us on this expedition into our exotic universe! Its mysteries are well worth exploring.
Produced within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB1491, with scientific contributions from Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, and University of Wuppertal, and with the participation of the Planetariums in Bochum, Münster, and Mannheim. Co-financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Recommended for ages 14 and up
Running time: approx. 60 minutes
AstronomieShow