🚀 Out of this world! 🌌

Last Friday, five Smallbrook students visited the Spaceguard Centre in Knighton to see real world science in action! As a vital part of the global effort to monitor Near-Earth Objects like asteroids and comets, the centre provided a fascinating look at how we protect our planet.

During the tour, students explored the main observatory and learned how telescopes and computer stacking are used to find faint objects in deep space. They even caught a glimpse of the DRAX project, which will soon house the second largest telescope in Wales! Inside the planetarium, the group used coordinate grids to track galaxies and discussed the complex engineering, coding, and maths required to automate an observatory dome.

After a sunny lunch with stunning hilltop views, the students used special filters to try and spot sunspots. It was an inspiring day that showed our students that astronomy is much more than just looking at the stars. We can’t wait to return and see the centre continue to grow!

#smallbrookschool #spaceguardcentre #STEMeducation