How the moon was created

From 21 November, the bilingual travelling exhibition "Moon Impact" will be on display at the Thuringian University and State Library (ThULB). It tells the History of the formation of the moon. Visitors learn about the formation of the solar system, the giant impact that created the proto-moon synestia and the ever-increasing complexity of minerals. They can admire distant proto-planetary discs, see animations of giant impacts and take a look at the atomic secrets of the formation of the Earth's first atmosphere. In addition to natural rocks, minerals and meteorites, the exhibition features large-format posters, results of computer simulations, 3D-printed models of atoms in melts and volcanic gas bubbles derived from atomistic simulations and much more.

The "Moon Impact" exhibition project was developed by the Paris Science Centre (CNRS). Under the direction of Razvan Caracas, a team is researching the formation of the moon.

The show can be visited during THULB opening hours. The visit is free of charge. Public guided tours are tendered. Guided tours for groups, especially for schoolchildren, should be addressed to: min.museum@uni-jena.de.

Supplementary exhibitions in the Mineralogical Collection

This show is complemented by a special exhibition on meteorites and impactites in the Mineralogical Collection of the University of Jena. From 11 December, a further, thematically related special exhibition on the evolution of minerals can be seen there.

All three exhibitions end on 30 April 2025.