Latest Earth satellite imagery visible at Prague Planetarium in new exhibition
On the occasion of the 17th anniversary of Czechia’s accession to the European Space Agency (ESA), a permanent interactive exhibition titled ESA: Earth from Space was officially opened at the Prague Planetarium on Wednesday, November 12. The project was created in cooperation with the ESA.
Visitors to the Prague Planetarium can see the latest exhibition and discover how Europe observes its planet from space. The displays draw on data collected by the European fleet of satellites, including the European Commission’s Copernicus program and ESA’s Earth Explorer missions.
These instruments monitor forest vegetation, biomass, atmospheric composition, trace gases, pollution, and more.
Czech Radio spoke with Miguel Booth, Outreach Coordinator at the European Space Agency, on the day of the launch of the exhibition to find out more about its uniqueness:
“We’re here at the Earth from Space exhibit at the Planetarium, and we’re very, very excited to have this launch. As you can see, there are several different elements to it, all focused on how satellites observe and monitor Earth.
“It’s a very unique point of view because satellites give us access to the entire planet. We can have frequent revisit times, so we can actually track how the climate is changing, how ecosystems are doing, for example, how forests or oceans are evolving. It’s very exciting to be here with this outreach program, allowing everyone to enjoy it and learn more about our beautiful planet.”
The installation originated from another exhibition called “The Φ (Phi) Experience” in Frascati, near Rome (the ESA’s European Earth Observation Center). Some elements of that exhibition have also been installed at other ESA centers, including one in the Netherlands, but this is a special installation, one of the first located outside and far from ESA centers.
Booth detailed why the exhibition is here at the Planetarium in Prague:
“Well, we had a great opportunity with the Prague Planetarium. They’re undergoing a major renovation with new installations, so it’s becoming a spectacular destination. We were very excited to be part of this specific project: a project showcasing the best of space content, including Earth observation.”
On top of the unique placement of the installation here in Prague, the exhibition features the latest in Earth observation, with touch tables and other interactive features. Booth continues:
“These satellites are truly astonishing in what they can do. Think about it: they’re orbiting 700 or 800 kilometers above Earth, some even higher, and they can capture data with incredible precision: sea surface temperature, land subsidence; radar on these satellites can detect tiny variations in land movement, even down to millimeters.
“Right now, on the half dome here, we’re showing sea ice loss. So, it captures how the polar regions change dramatically from one year to the next. A lot of incredible monitoring happens thanks to satellites.”
The ESA: Earth from Space exhibition can be seen at the Prague Planetarium in the Royal Game Preserve (Královská obora) on a permanent basis, as of writing.
