Carl Bosch: chemist, Nobel laureate, business leader, astronomy enthusiast ...
Carl Bosch (1874-1940) became famous through the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia synthesis. This development made nitrogen fertilizer a mass product - a revolution for agriculture. As a result of his professional successes, Carl Bosch quickly rose to become chairman of BASF and later of I.G. Farbenindustrie.
In 1931, he received the highest possible award for his scientific and professional work, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. As a private citizen, too, Carl Bosch was a versatile natural scientist who earned great acclaim for his legendary beetle and butterfly collection, his passion for astronomy, and as a co-founder of the Heidelberg Zoo.
September 14, 2024 until April 27, 2025
Special exhibition: Astronomy for everyone
The universe fascinates many people. Most of us know stars from looking at the night sky - but what are stars actually and how can we observe them more closely? What are the phases of the moon all about? Where is the Earth in the solar system? The touring exhibition “Astronomy for everyone” deals with questions like these. Here, astronomy can be experienced through interactive exhibits: visitors can simulate the phases of the moon with lamps, learn about the relative sizes of stars and the three-dimensional structure of a constellation using models, touch a real meteorite and much more.
The exhibition is dedicated to the basics of the oldest science in four themed areas: “A look at the sky” is about what we see in the sky - the moon, stars, planets - and how these objects can be examined more closely. In “Our place in space”, we locate our home planet Earth in the cosmos. The “Stars: Distant Suns” section of the exhibition deals with the properties of the self-luminous celestial bodies. And “Other worlds” deals with one of the most exciting topics in modern astronomical research: planets orbiting stars other than the sun, how these planets can be detected and whether life could be possible on them. The exhibition is complemented by two exhibits that allow visitors to travel virtually into the vastness of space: Take an excursion to the nearest Earth-like planet with an installation reminiscent of a spaceship and experience a mission into space with VR glasses.
The accompanying program to the exhibition offers guided tours, lectures, excursions and workshops for visitors of all ages to take an exciting look at our galaxy. Additional guided tours and workshops can be booked for groups.
An exhibition by the House of Astronomy and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. Made possible by the Klaus Tschira Foundation.