What We Do
So, what actually happens at a Dark Sky Event? Well, organisations all round the UK run a range of activities. We always hope for good weather, but we arrive prepared to run activities regardless of what’s happening above us, be it rain, shine or cloud. Here are just a few examples.
Stargazing
But the ideal is a clear sky, so we can actually look at things up there in space – stars, planets, comets, meteors, nebulae and even other galaxies have all been on the menu over the last few months.
You don’t need a telescope to do stargazing – a lot of what we do during an observing session is naked-eye stargazing, and there is more than enough to see through just your eyeballs! Telescopes and binoculars are great for getting a really good view of the moon, or to see the rings round the planet Saturn, but for picking out constellations – the pictures and patterns made of stars - your eyes are far better, as they can see a much larger area of sky at one time. (Maximum duration: 1 hour)
Astrofun
Daylight Observing
But we don’t just go out at night – we can
look at things during the day too. Using our Solar telescopes or projecting
images onto a bit of
paper, we can show you what’s happening on the surface of our local
star, from great exploding loops of gas four times wider than the Earth leaping
off the solar surface to sunspots on the surface itself.
(Drop-in activity)
During the daylight hours, we also do a range of activities for all the family.
Rocket making and launching
One of our most popular activities, get hands-on
and build your own rocket, have a think about the best design to use, and
any extras you want to add,
then fire it from our compressed-air launcher – how high will yours
go?
(Usual duration: 30 minutes)
Comet making demonstrations
During our comet-making sessions, we create a
(small-scale!) comet before your eyes, using every-day ingredients, most
of which you could find in your
home. The key thing is, these ingredients are also present in comets, so
what we end up with is our very own ‘Dirty snowball’, mini versions
of the city-sized lumps of ice flying around the outskirts of our solar-system!
(Usual duration: 30 minutes)
Meteorite handling
When it comes to ‘Old’, what do you think
of? That squishy bit of fruit that’s been sitting about for a few weeks?
Maybe a car from the early 1990s? How about your grandparents? How about
an old house or castle,
a few hundred years old maybe? With our meteorites, you have a chance to
hold something as old as our solar system, as old as the sun – not
hundreds or thousands of years old, not even millions, but BILLIONS of years
old! The oldest thing you will ever hold!
(Drop-in activity, or as part of
Comets)
Star Shows
These take place inside our inflatable Starlab Planetarium. This
means we can show you what the night sky looks like, even when the sun is
up, or the
clouds are blocking the view of the real stars. The Starlab is like a giant
dome-tent, – you go inside, we turn the lights down, and project the
stars into the inner skin of the dome, so you can see where everything is,
and start to learn some constellations and star-hopping techniques to find
other interesting objects up there in the real night sky.
(Usual duration:
30 minutes plus questions)
Training Workshops
A big part of what we do is to try and make astronomy
more accessible and interesting for everyone, but we can’t reach everybody,
so our events often include training workshops for school teachers, outdoor
educators,
rangers, and people involved in tourism and recreation – anyone who
has an interest in communicating astronomy. We aim to impart a little knowledge,
but also link you to resources that can be used in the classroom, out on
a walk – wherever it fits in with what you do.
(Usual duration: 1.5 to 2 hours depending
on programme)
Would you like to see these activities happening near you? We have been to a variety of venues – with a few exceptions there are no restrictions on where we can run activities. From schools to adventure playgrounds, village halls and theatres to playing fields and forest classrooms, visitor centres and a castle, all have been very successful events, and we’re looking forward to more after the summer. Check here on our map to see which region you are in. Clicking on the map will get you contact details for the partnership in your area if you would like any further information, or would like to enquire about hosting an event.
We look forward to seeing you at an event in the future!