An out-of-this-world premiere exhibition, now open at the Science and Industry Museum.
Blast off into the solar system and embark on a cosmic adventure guided by familiar characters from the brand-new BBC Horrible Science TV series.
Walk in the shoes of astronauts and discover far-off worlds, dance on an alien disco planet and journey through the depths of space to uncover the secrets of our universe:
- What does a star smell like?
- How do astronauts eat, sleep, work and train their bodies?
- What really happens if you need the loo in space?
From smelly space socks to a real space toilet, prepare for surprising science, interactive experiments and playful challenges on this high-energy voyage through space.
But, beware of Dr Big Brain, the galaxy's greatest evil genius, who will be on the hunt for help with his diabolical plans to conquer the Solar System. Will you use your new science skills to make sense of the solar system, or cause cosmic chaos by joining forces with a supervillain?
Get ready to:
- See a space toilet used by astronauts on the Soyuz-Mir spacecraft and touch a real piece of the Moon that fell to Earth as a meteorite
- Programme an interplanetary rover, test your balance on a moonquake and see if you can survive a black hole
- Be one of the first to see astronaut Tim Peake's headset from his 2015 space mission on public display for the first time
- Get sucked through a wormhole and rummage through a giant space rubbish dump
- Experience the extreme temperature swings on Mercury and see how strong you are on different planets
- Test your knowledge with Dr Big Brain's impossible quiz
- Take a break under a twinkling starscape in the Cosy Crater and shake off the space dust by joining the party on Disco Planet.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos is the first time the hit BBC TV show Horrible Science has been brought to life as a major exhibition. It will launch at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester in February 2026, before landing at the Science Museum, London in March 2027.
The exhibition has been created by the museum in collaboration with producers of the brand-new Horrible Science TV show, BBC Children's and Education, and Lion Television, an All3Media company, together with Scholastic, publishers of the much-loved Horrible Science book series by Nick Arnold and illustrated by Tony De Saulles.
Inside Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos
Discover the extreme temperature swings on Mercury
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Take a whiff of stinky space
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Journey through the Solar System
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Join the party on Disco Planet
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Come face to face with cosmic objects
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Look down on Earth with real images taken from space
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Take a selfie on a space toilet
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Play and explore on a space adventure
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science MuseumAccessible resources and events
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Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos has been made possible thanks to:
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