Space Day 2020

As part of Space Day, children in L5 blasted off into the stratosphere and beyond to learn more about the solar system.  

PhD students from the University of St Andrews got the cosmic adventure underway by welcoming the pupils into their mobile planetarium. Inside the inflatable dome, which featured a simulation of the night sky, the youngsters were shown how to locate stars, planets and constellations.

Next, with the help of Dr Duncan Brown of the Senior Years’ Physics Department, pupils charted a course for Deep Space to learn more about the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ – the habitable zone around a star where life could potentially be supported – and the search for any exoplanets that may exist within it. 

Finally, the eager astral explorers had the stars firmly in their sights when they took part in a contest to launch rockets, which were designed and constructed in the classroom, as far as possible using compressed air.

L5 teacher Kirstin Reith said, “The children had a really exciting, hands-on day experiencing new activities such as finding out about exoplanets and visiting the planetarium. This was a great, fun way to enhance what the children have been learning in the classroom.”