Helios Sun sculpture on display in stately home

The sculpture is a chance for people to examine what the Sun looks like from close up

An illuminated model of the Sun is on display at a stately home in Derbyshire.

The sculpture, created by artist Luke Jerram, is named after the ancient Greek god of the sun, Helios, and has been scaled so each centimetre represents 2,000km of the star's surface.

The National Trust, which co-commissioned the project, said it would be on display at Kedleston Hall until 2 November.

Zoe Stevens, experience and programming manager at Kedleston Hall, said: "People aren't expecting it to be quite so big and impressive in that space."

Zoe Stevens said she enjoyed watching people's reaction to seeing Helios for the first time

Ms Stevens said the sculpture offered the opportunity to closely examine the Sun in detail.

"Helios has been created using lots of imagery of the Sun and it's got a soundscape provided by Nasa, which helps us get to know the Sun a bit better closer up," she said.

Ms Stevens added the project was also commissioned by Cork Midsummer Festival, Liverpool Cathedral, Old Royal Naval College and University College London.​

Kedleston Hall is the final stop of Helios's tour around National Trust properties

Keith Covell, 56, from Derby, was among the visitors to the attraction, and said it looked "pretty magnificent".

"It's slightly enclosed within that room but it gives you a really good idea about what the Sun is like close up," added Mr Covell.

Visitor Jeanette Phoenix, 53, from Spondon, said: "It's absolutely amazing, it really looks good in the hall - it's framed beautifully.

"The music's calm as well as the movement of the Sun. Looking up underneath it was really nice."

Helios is on display inside Kedleston Hall until 2 November

Ms Stevens said Helios had been on tour across different National Trust properties since January, with Kedleston Hall being its final stop.

"It's absolutely amazing watching people's reactions as they come and stand in the doorway of the saloon room - they see the scale of it," she said.

"We've absolutely loved having it. I feel like it's energised everybody."