The 2009 Summer Science Exhibition

It's been a great week for us at the Summer Exhibition! We've had nearly constant, full-house showings of the only movie in the world to take you through a unique, 3D journey of our Cosmic Origins. We have tried to present to you the cutting-edge of our understanding of the physics of the formation of our home, the Milky Way galaxy - research led by the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University.

Each day, a researcher from a different exhibit gave a short lunchtime talk about their research.

On Wednesday 1 July 2009, Chris North, Cardiff University spoke on the Herschel and Planck Missions.  

A team lead by researchers from Durham University is working to create a computer simulation of the evolution of the Universe. This will help them understand how the Milky Way was formed and how it has changed from its origins to the present.

Researchers at seven UK institutions are working with the European Space Agency and other international partners on the Herschel and Planck missions, which are set to revolutionise our knowledge of the Universe.  The two missions will look at light usually blocked by the Earth's atmosphere.  Planck will look at the cosmic microwave background, the relic of the big bang, and how the