Giant Sun installation to light up cathedral

The artwork is named after Helios, the Greek god of the Sun, and is currently installed at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire

A giant illuminated Sun installation by artist Luke Jerram is to go on display at Peterborough Cathedral on Tuesday.

Named after the Greek god of the Sun, "Helios" will be suspended from the cathedral ceiling and measures seven metres in diameter.

Internally lit, it offers visitors an insight into the surface of our star in striking detail.

Gary Cowling, events manager at the cathedral, said the team was "absolutely delighted" to host the installation, following the success of Jerram's previous works at the cathedral, including Museum of the Moon, Gaia and Mars.

The installation is supported by Peterborough Positive's small grants scheme.

Created using high-resolution imagery by astrophotographer Dr Stuart Green and data from NASA, Helios reproduces the Sun at a scale of about 1:200,000,000, where each centimetre represents 1,242 miles (2,000km) of its surface.

This scientific accuracy allows viewers to see features such as sunspots, filaments and regions linked to solar flares, which create the Northern Lights in Earth's atmosphere.

The installation is accompanied by a specially commissioned surround-sound composition by artists Duncan Speakman and Sarah Anderson.

Previous installations, including a replica Moon and a giant spinning model of the Earth, proved popular and significantly boosted visitor numbers, with cathedral staff hoping Helios will have a similar impact.

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