The Sundome Ever wondered what makes the Sun shine? What process is capable of keeping it burning for 5 billion years and will keep it burning for 5 billion more? That process is FUSION! The Sun Dome films and activities will tell you all you need to know about the Sun and fusion research. The Sun Dome is an exciting roadshow that comprises movies and interactive role play, using a portable inflatable dome. The activity takes Year 5 and 6 children on a journey to the Sun, introducing the science that occurs inside the big star and how scientists at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy are using the same processes to create fusion energy for electricity in the future. The journey starts inside the darkened dome with a high speed trip into the Sun - played above our heads. We will see the fusion – sticking together – of light atoms and hear about how this process releases vast amounts of energy and keeps the Sun burning bright. Back in the school hall, the children will have the opportunity to be atoms of the Sun for a moment and do their own journey towards the core and fuse together, releasing energy like only children can! The presenters observe the children-atoms movements and explain to the children the science behind their apparent, but only apparent, random movement. Back inside the dome, we will now move to the Earth and discover the science and technology behind developing our own Sun, showing how fusion research is striving to harness this enormous source of power to generate electricity in the future. This is put in the context of contemporary issues like climate change and the continued use of non sustainable reserves of energy, where possible giving examples that are local to the children. The Sun Dome will be a pioneering and fun journey of scientific discovery – touching on several aspects of basic science and the importance of sustainable energy to the future of the world.

The Sun Dome was funded directly by public engagement funds from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and EURATOM