Illuminating the LHC

For the first time ever, on 29 September the LHC ring will be visible above ground. Spotlights aimed at the sky will light up the 27 km path of the ring to celebrate CERN's 50th anniversary. Also, everyone born in 1954 is invited to come to blow out birthday candles on a cake.

To see the display, you can come to departure station for the gondola at Crozet*, France, starting at 18:30. There will be music, official speeches and food stands. At 20:00 the ring will light up, and to wrap it up at 21:15 there will be the cake and videoconferences with Robert Aymar, the Director-General of CERN, and the inventor of the Web, Tim Berners-Lee. The event is organized by the Department of Justice, Police and Security of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland, in collaboration with communes of the Canton of Geneva, the Communauté des communes du Pays de Gex and the Préfecture de l'Ain.