Created by UK artist, Luke Jerram, the installation uses detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface to provide a unique opportunity to view our planet floating in three dimensions.
The artwork is 1.8 million times smaller than the real Earth with each centimetre of the internally lit sculpture describing 18km of the Earth’s surface. By standing 211m away from the artwork, visitors will be able to see the Earth as it appears from the moon.
The installation aims to create a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.
Visitors can view Gaia by standing, sitting, or walking underneath it, and from different angles in the science centre. We also have a viewing platform on upper floor where visitors can enjoy a totally different view of the Earth.
There’s lots to look at on Earth – during your visit see if you can find all the continents, countries you’ve been to or where we are.
As the North East's biggest science centre, Life is committed to helping audiences make sense of complex, controversial and often scary subjects, like climate science.
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