A happy crowd gathered outside Littlehempston church recently to gaze in awe at a vast night sky packed with brilliant stars. Under the expert guidance of local experts, we peered through telescopes and wondered at the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter and the mind boggling Andromeda constellation, and learned more about the different galaxies and constellations spread out above.
John Stapleton, chairman of the Torbay Astronomical Society, brought along an orrery, a mechanical model that illustrated the solar system. He’s been a member of TAS for 50 years, and a teacher and an Adult Education lecturer for nearly 30 years, so if you know of a school or adult group who would like to learn more about the wonders of the universe, he’s your man!
Alison Alexander provided fun activities for the younger ones and also a fruit display illustrating the relative sizes of the planets in the Solar System. What do you think the melon represented (answer below)? Nature photographer, Dave Shawe, brought along spectacular prints of the Milky Way in different locations, including Dartmoor and Blackpool Sands, and Les Green from Uphempston brought along his telescope … and knowledge. Thank you to all four experts!
A big thank you also to those who provided the delicious home-made soups that warmed us up afterwards. Everyone both young and old went away very enthusiastic about what they had seen and learnt. One lady e-mailed to say: “the stargazing evening was fab, thank you.” And who knew Jupiter was the size of a melon!