Gaia, a touring artwork by Luke Jerram, is to be displayed in the Cathedral from Monday 19 August until Sunday 15 September.

The same artist created the Museum of the Moon, which was shown at the Cathedral in October last year, attracting an estimated 40,000 visitors. Measuring seven metres in diameter, Gaia features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the earth’s surface. The artwork provides the opportunity to see our planet on this scale, floating in three-dimensions.The installation, which will hang under the central tower of the Cathedral, creates a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.