Bringing Mars Back to Earth – A Virtual Exhibition
- 1Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure, United Kingdom of Great Britain – England, Scotland, Wales
- 2Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom of Great Britain – England, Scotland, Wales
In the summer of 2024, the Natural History Museum (NHM) and partner institutions involved in the Europlanet 2024 RI project are launching an exciting, interactive virtual exhibit about Mars Sample Return.
The exhibit uses Augmented Reality (AR) to bring the NHM martian meteorite collection and the surface of the planet to life. The design of the exhibit is optimised for mobile phones, where AR can be used to maximum effect, as well as tablets and laptops. An underlying theme is an emphasis on how Mars Sample Return relies on a diverse team of scientists and engineers, and on extensive international cooperation.
The information is aimed at the interested public, including adults and teenagers, and is multi-layered to include links to more detailed information.
The landing page from which the 'virtual galleries' are accessed includes 3D models that can be explored through AR and/or on screen. The main sections include:
- The Red Planet
- Martian Meteorites
- Mars Sample Return Campaign
- Exploring Mars and Jezero Crater
- Showcase Research
Europlanet 2024 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149.
How to cite: Heward, A., Grindrod, P., Russell, S., and Smith, A.: Bringing Mars Back to Earth – A Virtual Exhibition, Europlanet Science Congress 2024, Berlin, Germany, 8–13 Sep 2024, EPSC2024-1164, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-1164, 2024.
