Graduate helps bring giant Sun sculpture to life
A giant sculpture of the Sun, currently on display in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, was brought to life with the help of University of Liverpool alumnus Dr Stuart Green whose passion for solar astronomy led him to contributing to the artwork.
Stuart, who graduated twice from the University with a BSc Hons in Chemistry in 1984 and again in 1989 with PhD in Materials Science, was approached by the Helios’ artist Luke Jerram to provide images for the project.
More than 400,000 photographs of the Sun were used to create the 7-metre artwork.
Stuart explains, “Helios is a 1:200 million scale representation of the Sun, offering people the opportunity to see the Sun in a totally new way, up close and in total safety.”
“I provided Luke with some sample images which he then worked on to upscale from my standard typical photographic scale. After he was satisfied with the quality of my images through this process, I forwarded a large selection of images of various solar features which his graphic artist digitally stitched together to create the solar globe. Printed sections were then physically stitched, assembled and inflated to create what has become known as Helios, so named after the 'God of the Sun' in Greek mythology.”
Not only has Stuart's hobby as an astrophotographer led him to contribute to such artwork, he's also been recognised with awards from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.
Memories of university
Before his solar astronomy hobby and full-time career in materials science and engineering, Stuart was a student at the University. He shared his memories of his time and where his career journey has taken him since.
Stuart recalls: “I lived at Derby Hall on the Greenbank site, which back then was an all-male residence and very traditional, with Sunday lunch requiring the wearing of a student gown and grace was recited in Latin! This is very different to how it is today, as I've seen online. The building has been completely modernised with bedrooms having been transformed wonderfully to meet modern accommodation standards, including ensuite facilities. No more cold walks to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
“Back then I had to queue to make a telephone call on a payphone in the basement of Derby Hall. We didn't have a mobile phone, or WhatsApp, or Facebook, or anything like that; all such technologies were yet to come. My girlfriend, now my wife of 40 years, was a student nurse in Preston at the time, so that phone call was precious, and it wasn't ideal saying 'sweet nothings' with a queue of people within earshot.”
Following his graduation, Stuart has gone on to have a successful career, specialising in research and innovation in materials for aerospace and medical applications.
When asked about advice for students looking to follow in his footsteps, Stuart said: “Life is about balancing conflicting requirements, between work, home, friends and the ones you love the most. The key to a happy life, I think, is to strike the right balance.”
How can you see the exhibition
Helios follows the Moon sculpture exhibition previously hosted by the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. If you’re hoping to catch the Helios exhibition, it’s currently on display at the Cathedral until the 9 May. The artwork will then be touring the UK and you can discover where it will be next.