We joined "Touchable Star Photos," an inclusive space event in Fukushima!

What is the "Touchable Star Photos" exhibition?

An inclusive astronomy event organized by Rie Sakuma (Fukushima Prefectural Sukagawa Support School, Koriyama Campus), whom we have introduced in a previous article. Held on August 11, 2024 at the Komu Komu children's center in Fukushima City, it was a gathering where visually impaired visitors could touch and experience the universe. The main materials included a model of a black hole, scale models of the solar system, and tactile (raised-relief) prints and models of astronomical photographs.

How we came to participate

At Ms. Sakuma's invitation, Takeshi Nagasawa joined as a presenter, explaining celestial objects — mainly black holes and the solar system.

On the day

We set up in a tatami room inside the center, laid out tables, and displayed the models. Using Ms. Sakuma's model of the M87 black hole and the solar system scale models, we explained the universe to visually impaired visitors. The event ran from the morning into the afternoon, and many people attended.

Rather than lecturing one-way, we talked with each visitor, always keeping hands on the models. One remark stayed with us: "I never understood black holes before, but today I finally got it. Next time black holes come up in the news, I'll know what they're talking about!"

For many visually impaired people, space has felt distant — "you can't touch it, so you can't understand it or get interested in it." But by sitting with each person and having a conversation about the universe, we could feel the universe together. The event truly lived up to its name.

The planetarium attached to the center also ran "Feeling Planetarium," where visitors experienced the summer night sky through tactile charts — another touch-based program that paired perfectly with the exhibition.

What's next

Curascopium is currently creating a planetarium on the theme of feeling the universe through sound. We will draw on the experience and voices gathered at this event — where the universe was experienced through senses other than sight — as we build it.