As if yesterday’s sunset over Preston wasn’t spectacular enough, a couple of hours later there was an even more spectacular sunrise in Preston’s covered market.

‘The Sun at Night’ is the brainchild of artists David Henckel and Dan Wilkinson in collaboration with Uclan’s Solar Physics Group. The Arts Council England and Uclan funded project uses high definition footage from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory projected on to a cylindrical screen and accompanied by a suitably sinister soundtrack. A years’ worth of solar images have been compressed into a half hour film which slowly rotates around the unusual cylindrical screen.

Art and science fans came out in force for last night’s launch in Preston’s Victorian market place and they were treated to a unique spectacle which brings physics and art together in an eye-catching creative collaboration. The screening continued until 5am and the solar showcase will return again tonight with a live improvised performance featuring a soundtrack created using analogue synthesizers. Don’t forget to bring your sunglasses and your factor 5000 sun block!

There’s more info on the project here: http://thesunatnight.info/index.html and it continues on Sunday evening on the Covered Market.

See Bernie’s photos on Flickr.