9th March 2017, pupils at Dean Close Preparatory School enjoyed a fascinating morning of space discovery, when they welcomed David Buttery and his planetarium into School for the morning.
Surrounded by stars and planets, pupils learnt about the solar system, how it was formed and where it is positioned in space. They learnt about different constellations and importance of the earth’s tilt of 23 1/2° and how that influences the seasons. David helped pupils understand the enormous scale of the universe, explaining that our nearest star is 4.24 light years away making communication over such distances virtually impossible; to send a message and receive a reply would take over eight years, in which time the answer to the question might have changed. He also talked about the presence of gases in the universe and how stirring up a nebula would eventually create a solar system.
During the question and answer session at the end pupils debated some very topical subjects asking questions like, ‘Do you believe the landing on the moon was fake?’, Will astronauts ever make it to Mars?’, ‘Will we ever discover and make contact with other life-sustaining planets?’, ‘What would you find at the centre of the universe?’
David offered some fascinating, detailed answers which gave pupils and staff a great deal to ponder for the rest of the day.
Bella Stephens explained, “Seeing the planets was fantastic but most of all I enjoyed listening to David explain why the journey to Mars takes so much planning. Scientists have to send all the supplies in advance and make sure they land them close enough that when the astronauts land they can reach them. There needs to be enough oxygen, food and fuel to last a year as that is when Mars is close enough to Earth again for the astronauts to travel home. It was really intriguing.”