As part of World Space Week and to supplement their science topic ‘Earth and Space’, Year 5 had the fantastic opportunity to walk inside a mobile planetarium. The WonderDome as it is very aptly called created a morning of excitement and wonder. The sessions were run by an astronomy specialist who was able to take the boys on an interactive journey through space. This started with our solar system, and we were able to appreciate its small scale in comparison to other galaxies. The journey then moved on to discuss black holes and different types of nebulae. The favourite was definitely the butterfly nebula, which is among the most complex ever observed. There was then the opportunity to learn a little more about the 1969 moon landing, and how rovers are able to help us to detect if water is present on different planets or even planets orbiting moons. The boys really demonstrated their knowledge and interest by asking some fabulous questions at the end. Well done Year 5.
Below are some quotes following the visit to the WonderDome:
Alexander W
What I learnt was that the Earth will get sucked into the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way in millions of years. The best part was when we watched the videos about the moons of Jupiter and how they may have life. The part that was the most enjoyable was when I was told that the astronauts left space buggies on the moon and they are still there!
Benji C
What I learnt was that there are many galaxies and that they come in many shapes. The best part was when we saw the nebulae – they were very beautiful! The part that was the most enjoyable was when I saw how the spaceships disconnected and then blasted apart!
Thomas S
What I learnt was that there is a moon that orbits Jupiter that, despite having a frozen surface, has oceans of water underneath. The best part was when I saw the underwater vents (that could be on Jupiter’s moon) blast out hot water. I thought they looked like cola bottles! The part that was most enjoyable was when I saw galaxies being sucked into black holes.
