If you’ve been past Federation Square after dark recently you may have noticed the big, orange, Sun-like ball looming over the square. Don’t worry; the sky is not falling, the sun has not descended rapidly upon Earth, the end is not nigh and 2012 is sitting safely in a DVD store near you.

This seemingly floating mini-Sun is actually an installation by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer who is said to be one of the world’s greatest installation artists. The installation, entitled Solar Equation, marks the Mexican born artist's debut in Australia and is part of The Light in Winter- a program featuring large scale light installations, projections and torch led tours to cast a little light on Melbourne's somewhat gloomy winter.

Solar Equation is a three-dimensional simulation of the sun that uses live mathematical equations to simulate the turbulence, flares and sunspots on the sun's surface. Like moths, stargazers are gliding across Melbourne just to catch a glimpse of Solar Equation and bask in its (not-so-warm) glow. Sorry, no tans will come of this.

The installation will be lighting up Fed Square from sunset to midnight every night until July 4 with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays so you can ogle at this glowing orb as you stumble past between watering holes.