Towns and Villages 1
In February we visited the South Downs Planetarium at Chichester.
Following a warm welcome we moved into the circular auditorium and settled into reclining airline seats ready for the show. As the lights dimmed and our eyes got used to the dark, Graham, our extremely knowledgeable guide, pointed out the more familiar constellations projected on to the dome above us. Twilight gave way to night time and as the “street lights” were switched off so many more stars became visible in the completely dark sky and whispers of “Wow!” could be heard. The planets of Venus and Mars were visible and the path of the International Space Station was traced across the sky. Some of the constellations of the Zodiac were highlighted and we learnt that our moon was in Gemini at that time.
Fascinating, detailed images of the planets of our solar system and of the moon followed, accompanied by interesting facts about their constitution and atmospheres.
And then we were alongside the Space Station, digitally projected on the dome, watching a module docking and getting an idea of just how big it is – the size of a football pitch! Rocket boosters keep it at just the right speed to maintain its orbit around earth.
As dawn broke and another day began we were brought back down to earth, in awe of what we had just seen and experienced. Can’t wait to go again!
Liz Baguley