Mr Pinkett
It was great to make the most of the day visit from ‘Wonder Dome’ where they brought in an inflatable planetarium. This was initially the idea Hannah B (Year 13) as she wanted to take the Year 8 Astronomy Club out to Birmingham to see a planetarium show as a reward for their commitment over the past two years. Hannah assisted with the club last year while the students were Year 7 when it was started by Mr. Theodorakis, and has taken over running it this year for the students who have been very grateful. Hannah says “It’s been a pleasure running Astronomy club following on from Mr Theodorakis’ lead. The best activities we ran stemmed from the students’ ideas – and I thank them for their creativity and dedication! Particular highlights have been the planetarium experience, designing and making a miniature Mars colony, and launching model rockets across the front lawn.”
Instead of going to Birmingham, Hannah decided why not bring the planetarium to us instead?
We were then able to make the most of it by inviting in some local primary schools to enjoy a session in the dome, as well as students who were taking part in the Year 5 Taster Day.
Dr. Jowsey and I enjoyed joining the Astronomy Club for their lunchtime session where we were given a 3D tour of the universe, zooming out from Earth all the way to the edge of the observable Universe, where we were given a careful explanation of each point on the way. This ended with some information from astronauts Chris Hadfield and Tim Peake about some of the routine challenges of living on the International Space Station.
I would finally like to thank Hannah, on behalf of the Physics Department, for the commitment and enthusiasm that she has shown to Astronomy Club. The enthusiasm that the Year 8 students have displayed is a reflection on their enjoyment of the session she planned and delivered.
“The planetarium was a great experience! It was extremely fascinating to learn about and it felt surreal. I really enjoyed how we were able to look at the different areas of space and hear about interesting facts.”- Zoe Q
“I think the planetarium was really fun and was filled with facts. The 3D shape made viewing everything really enjoyable” – Patrick R
“The planetarium was a unique experience, and it felt a lot like we were flying through space when we zoomed in and out. The ice cracks in Europa felt like we were really falling through them. It was also interesting to learn about life on the space station.” – Tom C
