A spectacular new lunar art installation has been installed at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Dubbed Mirror Moon it has been created by British artist Luke Jerram and is open for public display today at the observatory.
The artwork is 2 m in diameter and is made of stainless steel. It uses accurate topographic data collected from NASA missions to map the features of the Moon onto the mirrored steel surface.
This includes craters, valleys, mountains and smooth lava fields as well as details from the heavily cratered ‘far side’ of the Moon.
The installation opens as the NASA Artemis crewed missions fosters a renewed interest in the Moon. A crewed lunar landing – Artemis IV – is currently set for 2028.
The Royal Observatory Greenwich is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian and since its founding in 1675 astronomers have used the observatory to study the Moon.
Jerram is best known for his large-scale public engagement artworks including Museum of the Moon and the Earth artwork Gaia, both of which have been displayed internationally.
Jerram says that the observatory has been an “inspiration” for his work as an artist.
“I hope Mirror Moon will inspire generations of visitors to have an interest in contemporary science, art and the wonder of the night’s sky,” he adds.
To mark the installation, Royal Museums Greenwich are selling 20 limited-edition mini versions of the artwork for £2000 each.
Each one is hand signed and numbered by Jerram and includes a presentation box, bespoke display stand and certificate of authenticity.
