Exploration is not just a curious quest. It is also a conquest that responds to a preoccupation, most often economic or scientific, to assert power or improve living conditions - or even survival - for humanity.
"As the subjects of exploration are many and varied, the exhibition Exploring the Infinitely... focuses on five themes linked to what seems infinite to us, or what has seemed infinite : distant spaces, with the emblematic figure of an explorer, the depths of the oceans, the Earth’s past, the structure of matter and planetary worlds".
In these terms, Denis Savoie, historian of science associated with the Observatoire de Paris - PSL, and scientific advisor to Universcience, explains the approach that guided him, alongside Marie-Laure Estignard, director of the Musée des Arts et Métiers, in leading the scientific curatorship of this exhibition.
Among the five stages, the "infinitely large" section reviews the milestones of space exploration. And it’s here that you can admire heritage items on loan from the Observatoire de Paris - PSL library :
Cassini’s Map of the Moon
photographs on glass plates from the Loewy and Puiseux collection, presented at the 1900 Universal Exhibition ;
From Galileo’s observation through a telescope to the missions of the 20th century, the Moon remains the only extraterrestrial object to which mankind has ever been...
Until May 12, 2024, let us take you into the fascinating world of exploration, from the poles to outer space.