Shanghai Inertia

Galactic rotation curve — Aerospace & Astronomy exhibit for science museums

Reference image

Category	Aerospace & Astronomy
Standard size	Custom size
Supply	Single unit or batch · OEM to your drawing
Lead time	Standard 4–8 weeks after deposit (confirmed per contract)
Warranty	1 year, structure and control
Documents	Specification sheet · control diagram · spare-part list

A standard catalogue model: the dimensions, control package and finish are fixed, which is what keeps the price and the lead time predictable. Size, colour and interface language can be adapted without a new design cycle.

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01 / Overview

Would we, on Earth in the solar system within the Milky Way, be curious about how the solar system and Milky Way rotate. No matter where in the universe, motion will follow the laws of kinematics - Newton's laws. When scientists first figured out how galaxies rotate, they found that the true situation of galaxy rotation did not match the model inferred from Newton's laws. The contradiction between speculation and observation has made astronomers realize that there must be some unknown substance dominating the spin motion of galaxies, known as' dark matter '.

02 / How visitors use it

The unit is designed for unsupervised public use: controls are recessed or shielded, moving parts are enclosed, and the interface is operable by a child of about six with no instruction. Where a screen is used, the language can be switched without changing the hardware, and the content can be replaced on site.

03 / The science behind it

The rotation curve of a galaxy refers to the function curve of the rotational speed of a celestial body at a certain distance around the center of the galaxy. If the gravitational force of a galaxy is only provided by visible matter, then the rotation curve can be calculated to show that the farther away the center of the galaxy, the slower the rotation speed of the celestial body. However, astronomers Rubin and Ford found during their observations of the Andromeda Galaxy that the actual rotation curve remained almost unchanged for celestial bodies farther away from the center of the galaxy beyond a certain distance. What does this mean? We all know that when the rotation radius is the same, the faster the rotation speed, the greater the centrifugal force. Therefore, if the gravitational force of a galaxy is only provided by visible matter, the high-speed moving celestial bodies in the periphery will be thrown out of the galaxy. Obviously, this kind of thing did not happen. So those celestial bodies must be attracted by something invisible and thus bound in the galaxy. This is another important observational evidence of dark matter.

04 / Built for a public floor

Every unit leaves the factory after a running test: mechanisms cycled, electronics burned in, edges dressed, fixings torqued and marked. Wear parts — bearings, sliders, lamps, belts, touch panels — are modular and listed on the spare-part sheet, so a venue technician can replace them without returning the exhibit. Crating is plywood with foam blocking; the loading plan and packing list travel with the shipment.