From mysteries in the dark universe…
We mainly learn about the universe through radio and optical telescopes: we observe stars, nebulae and planets. But… most of the universe is dark. And that’s precisely where the most spectacular events take place, such as black holes colliding with tremendous force.
Such massive cosmic events create ripples in space that we call gravitational waves.
… to ground-breaking discoveries
Once these gravitational waves reach Earth, the Einstein Telescope will detect them and we’ll learn more about space than ever before. That may all sound a bit abstract, so our aim in this exhibition is to explain things in a way that’s straightforward and light-hearted.
For instance, we challenge you to get close to a black hole. Or – just as fun – to hear the difference between two black holes colliding and a star exploding.
Join us on a journey into the future
The Einstein Telescope has not yet been built. And that’s what makes it even more fun: you’ll find out not just what we already know, but what we’ll only be able to discover in the near future. The Einstein Telescope means we’ll have:
- a higher chance of detecting rare cosmic events,
- a better understanding of black holes, supernovae and neutron stars, and
- a completely new way of exploring the ‘dark’ universe that optical telescopes can’t reach.
And with a bit of luck, the Einstein Telescope will be built close to the Belgian border!
And why ‘Einstein Telescope’?
Because Albert Einstein predicted as early as 1916 that massive cosmic events cause gravitational waves. A fitting tribute, then.
What you need to know
With the support of
