Discover the wonders of Mars

3D Virtual reality tour on show at Buckingham Palace - News

Tuesday 24 October 2006
By Naomi Weston

In celebration of British science, Buckingham Palace is hosting a Science Day today for school and college pupils, featuring the ‘Rough Guide to Mars’ exhibit from Imperial College, UCL and the Open University.

The Royal Society has selected the exhibits for the day, which is aimed at GCSE and A level students to inspire them to become the scientists of the future. Members of the Royal family and distinguished scientists will also be attending the event.

‘The Rough Guide to Mars’ is a visually impressive exhibit offering 3D Virtual reality tours, enabling people to explore the huge canyons, volcanoes and craters on Mars. Visitors can experience a flight across a huge Martian canyon - deeper than the Grand Canyon - which was formed by a sudden release of underground water.

All the images were taken recently by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see an actual piece of Mars in the form of a meteorite.

Dr Sanjeev Gupta, of Imperial’s Department of Earth Science and Engineering, will be presenting on the stand at the event. He comments: “This is an exciting opportunity for students to explore Mars, as this technology allows you to see geological features of the planet providing important clues to the planets evolution and history.” He also added: “It is great to be exhibiting at Buckingham Palace and encourage students to get involved in science and engineering.”