Visitor Info

Planetary Landscapes: Sculpting the Solar System

Pass your hand through a cauldron of billowing fog, or create a network of streams in fine powder to see how planets take shape.

Planetary Landscapes: Sculpting the Solar System is a unique blend of art and science designed to inspire observation, exploration, and inquiry. The fourteen sculptures in this exhibition invite you to explore the dynamic natural forces that are shaping our Solar System.

As you touch, turn, and manipulate the artworks, patters emerge, displaying the effects of natural phenomena such as turbulence, flow, wind, and the drive toward equilibrium. The classic forms of nature — spirals, branches, and eruptions — occur both on a small scale in the sculptures and on a large scale on the planets, moons, and comets in the accompanying photo murals.

With a grant from the National Science Foundation, Chabot collaborated with prominent artist Ned Kahn to develop this permanent exhibit. Works such as “Icy Bodies,” “Dust Devils,” and “Turbulent Orb” focus on the infinite variations and effects of natural forces, while demonstrating common behaviors, forms, and patterns. Wandering through a room of swirling atmospheres, bubbling calderas, and a sea of clouds, you’ll sense your connection to a world beyond the normal path of vision.

Thanks to funding from the NEC Foundation of America, visitors who leave with questions or curiosity can access in-depth information through the on-line Planetary Landscapes exhibit in Chabot’s Virtual Science Center. The on-line exhibit includes image galleries, descriptions of how the exhibit's sculptures work and the science behind them, and activities for home or school.

Traveling exhibit:
A traveling version of Planetary Landscapes: Sculpting the Universe is touring science centers and museums around the United States, educating people about fascinating natural phenomena in the Solar System and beyond. For information about booking the traveling exhibit, email cashley@chabotspace.org.