Smithsonian Starstruck is a brand new immersive space experience now open at London’s Science Museum, inviting visitors to explore galaxies, witness the birth and death of stars, and even listen to the Sun’s vibrations
Cosmic adventurers, the moment has arrived. London’s renowned Science Museum has just unveiled a spectacular new immersive space experience – and it’s here in time for the summer holidays.
The event, called The Smithsonian Starstruck, offers a distinctive and thrilling voyage for astronomy enthusiasts and technology fans alike. The free-roam, interactive expedition invites guests to “witness the birth and death of stars,” before venturing through far-flung galaxies and even encountering a black hole.
The show runs for over 40 minutes and is suitable for those aged ten and upwards, making it the perfect way to keep young space enthusiasts entertained over the six week school holidays. Also ideal for adults seeking an interactive experience, the activity is suitable for families with older children and teens.
READ MORE
The immersive space experience has been developed in partnership with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), where the adventure commences. There, a cosmic companion (named Astro) will propel visitors into “deep space” via some of the planet’s most celebrated telescopes; Hubble, JWST, and Chandra.
Using cutting-edge 3D virtual reality technology, participants can “drift through” the cosmos, sailing past “thousands of galaxies” along the way, all brought to life by events company Fever.
Discover more
Various depending on selected criteria
Fever
Buy now
Discover the experience here
This experience stands apart from many other attractions currently running across the nation, reports the Express. Also available at the moment is entry to the Paradox Museum, offering youngsters an opportunity to have their minds blown by brain-bending sights and sounds in Knightsbridge.
Alternatively, there’s the Luminiscence experience. Here, visitors will step into a 360 degree projection concert at London’s Westminster Cathedral.
Complete with voiceover from Hugh Bonneville, this orchestrally-infused spectacle will transport fans into what feels like another dimension. Smithsonian Starstruck transports them to distant worlds, however.
This naturally encompasses our own galaxy, the Milky Way, before sweeping close to our Sun, where experience-goers can “listen to its vibrations.” Those embarking on the journey can also discover an exoplanet where “volcanoes erupt and diamonds glitter beneath the surface” – and that’s before a supernova transforms stars into fresh ones, along with planets.
Overall, the immersive experience pledges to position visitors at the heart of the story of discovery. They explain that it will demonstrate that “humans are not just observers of the cosmos, but part of it”.
“Smithsonian Starstruck reflects years of thoughtful collaboration across the Smithsonian,” said Denise Elliott, Acting President of Smithsonian Enterprises. “By working closely with SAO and Fever, we’re extending Smithsonian science and storytelling into an immersive format that reaches new audiences while supporting our mission.”
Randall Smith, Associate Director for Science at the Center for Astrophysics at SAO, added: “This project demonstrates how immersive experiences can make complex scientific ideas more tangible and engaging.
“It’s exciting to see astronomical data translated into an experience that encourages curiosity and exploration.”
Whether a fascination with space stems from Brian Cox or Mr Spock, the Smithsonian Starstruck could prove an experience of a lifetime, contained within the walls of one of the country’s most remarkable buildings – and the doors are open right now.
Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience is currently showing at the Science Museum in South Kensington, London. Despite only having opened its doors recently, glowing reviews have already begun pouring in. Alistair said: “Excellent show. Really informative.”
Martin concurred: “Spectacular, and unexpectedly educational!” While the experience itself has yet to attract any negative feedback, some visitors have taken aim at the Science Museum as a whole.
In a lengthy comment, TripAdvisor reviewer Will wrote: “It appears they have had a huge layout change but as such seem to have lost half the artefacts they used to have.”
Despite this, Claire gushed: “We loved it, my son whom is a wheelchair user and first time participants loved the immersive experience. The staff were great. Thanks for another beautiful experience that we will treasure.”
