Step into the cosmos: Infinity of Space at Louvre Abu Dhabi opens on July 20

Prepare for lift-off, young explorers…

It was back in 1957 when human beings first started venturing into space. The world has come a long way since, and the UAE in particular has been in the spotlight in the past few years for its ambitious space missions.

It all began with the first Emirati astronaut, Hazza Al Mansoori, followed by the launch of the Hope Probe and then the next astronomical event – when the UAE became the first country in the Arab world to send an astronaut, this time Sultan Al Neyadi, to the International Space Station. We can without a doubt say that the UAE is currently sparkling on the space exploration front. 

Over the summer, young curious minds with a similar love for space can do much more than run around with a fish bowl on their head, arms outstretched doing zoomies around the living room, as Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Children’s Museum has a pitstop that can’t be overshot.

From Thursday, July 20, Louvre Abu Dhabi is inviting children ages six to 12 to experience the infinity of space in its Picturing the Cosmos exhibition. Running until June 2025, the exhibition will take little visitors on a journey through the cosmos through a variety of representations in art across time and cultures.

The exhibition is one of many ways the UAE is igniting a spark in young children to inspire them to become the next generation of space explorers and scientists. During the exploration of this exhibition, expect a number of questions to be answered, including ‘Why have humans always been fascinated by the cosmos?’ and ‘How has the sky been a source of inspiration and imagination through ages?’

Cruise through the exhibition to see a number of interesting instruments used in ancient times, including an astrolabe – a tool used to calculate the position of the sun, reckoning time and more. Although used a long time ago, the astrolabe is still in use by people today as part of learning astronomy. It’s also useful to hikers when they can’t access GPS or cellular services. Other items on display include a celestial globe, which shows the apparent positions of the stars in the sky. The globes are still used by modern astronomers to find objects in the night sky, but, thanks to their visual appeal, also double up as dazzling ornaments. Throughout the exhibition, visitors will also find a number of century-old paintings with depictions of constellations from around the globe.

Tickets to Louvre Abu Dhabi can be purchased on louvreabudhabi.ae and are priced at Dhs63 for adults. Children under 18 enter for free.

Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, open Tues to Thur 10am to 6.30pm, Fri and Sat 10am to 8.30pm, closed Mon, until June 2025. Tel: (600) 565 566. @louvreabudhabi