Do Look Up! Book our amazing planetarium show for your school
Monday 14th February 2022
The Science Oxford outreach team are enjoying taking our new inflatable planetarium dome to primary schools across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire this term. It’s an exciting time for science, with images of the sunset on Mars, rockets launching into space and the NASA’s James Webb Telescope mission to ‘unfold the universe’ a million miles away from Earth. The first pictures are expected in June, which could one day shine a light on the origins of our universe. “Wow, what a ride it’s been,” said Amber Straughn, a deputy project scientist for Nasa. So, why not ‘look up’ and Wow your school with our amazing touring Planetarium show this spring and summer term? From now until the end of July, you can book the planetarium in your school and from September you will be able to book a show in our Science Oxford Centre.
There are over 9000 visible stars in our night sky but this is a tiny proportion of the estimated 200 – 400 billion that make up the Milky Way. Light pollution in our cities means we rarely see more than a small fraction of our celestial neighbours, but that’s where we can help! The dome allows our team to take children on an immersive journey through the night sky, with a 360-degree view of the planets, the Moon and the stars and how and why the sky changes throughout the year.
Ian, our Outreach Delivery Officer, particularly enjoys answering the fascinating questions that the children come up with when he does the live planetarium show. He says “Every session is unique because of what the children ask. Their questions after the show often lead to some interesting discussions!”
Our brand new show, which supports the science curriculum while also encouraging higher order thinking, is proving popular with children and teachers alike. Schools tell us “There was lots of excitement from the children (and adults!) after their lesson and we always love hearing from the children about their favourite parts and what they’ve learnt.” Here are some comments from the children:
“I really enjoyed finding out more about space and the zodiac star system.”
“I learnt there was a big telescope that you could see far away into space!”
“I loved the stars.”
Our team ensures that every child has the opportunity to experience the wonders of space from their own school hall! Our remaining spaces for this term are booking up quickly. Find out more here or do get in touch via [email protected] to chat to our team about bringing this amazing experience to your school soon.
The live show lasts 1 hour for KS2 and holds 35 children.
Thanks to sponsorship from Abbott.
