Herschel Museum and Museum of East Asian Art “couple up” to celebrate the Tanabata Star Festival

The museums will be running special activities and events all summer.

June 2023 – The Herschel Museum of Astronomy is thrilled to partner with the Museum of East Asian Art (MEAA) in Bath to celebrate the Japanese Star Festival “Tanabata” this summer. The exciting new collaborative campaign, titled “Star-Crossed Museums”, will run from 7 July – the date of the Star Festival – to 31 August 2023, and include a programme of family friendly activities and events.

The Tanabata festival is deeply rooted in Japanese folklore and is a time when people come together to make heartfelt wishes and celebrate the power of love. Tanabata celebrates the mythical meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to Japanese legend, the Milky Way separated these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. William Herschel observed both of the stars that feature in the myth – Vega and Altair, two of the brightest stars in the night sky – through his telescopes and put them in the star catalogues that he and his sister Caroline made. The “Star-Crossed Museums” campaign will give visitors an opportunity to engage with both the myth and the science behind these stars.

As part of the Star-Crossed Museums campaign, people who visit either the Herschel Museum of Astronomy or the MEEA on 7 or 8 July 2023 can then enjoy 50% off entry at the other museum. There will also be free drop-in children’s activities running at both museums throughout the summer, from 7 July to 31 August. These include:

• Wishing strip “tanzaku” activities (available at MEAA)
• Star origami making (available at MEAA)
• A captivating trail that explores Museum objects through the lens of this inspiring Chinese and Japanese legend (available at MEAA)
• Opportunity to create a constellation postcard (available at The Herschel Museum of Astronomy)

Claire Dixon, Director of Museums for Bath Preservation Trust says: “This partnership is a match made in outer space! We hugely value opportunities to collaborate with other local organisations in the area so are thrilled to introduce this latest collaborative campaign with the Museum of East Asian Art, just in time for the summer holidays when many parents will be looking for interesting family activities. This campaign also ties into our overarching theme at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy this year, “Dark Skies”, through which we are raising awareness of the relatively little-publicised problem of light pollution on wildlife and humans, and encouraging greater appreciation of our beautiful night sky. The “love affair” between Vega and Altair, rooted in Chinese and Japanese myth, is another way of inspiring awe and wonder and we hope that our joint campaign will introduce more people to the fascinating field of astronomy.”

Glauke Bogaert, Marketing Manager at the Museum of East Asian Art says: “We are excited to partner with the Herschel Museum to celebrate Tanabata, the Star Festival. Together we are offering a distinctive and captivating summer experience for all audiences that blends art, culture and astronomy. Join us on a celestial journey, where we discover the enchanting tales that gave birth to the festival and explore the artistic appeal of stars and constellations as well as the scientific wonder behind ancient myths.”

“Dark Skies” raises awareness of the impact of light pollution and promotes practical solutions that people can take into their own hands. The Herschel Museum of Astronomy is achieving these aims by partnering with Bath Astronomers, Herschel Society and Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution to deliver a packed events schedule of themed stargazing sessions and talks throughout the year. Attendees learn how they can effect change in their own communities, in order that they might one day enjoy a better view of the night sky from their own back gardens.

For more information about the Herschel Museum of Astronomy’s events, visit www.herschelmuseum.org.uk.