On Friday 17th January a group of eight Main School students and 3 Sixth Form students, accompanied by Mr Mumford, attended an Astronomy Masterclass at Hothersall Lodge Observatory. It was a fantastic weekend and an incredible opportunity.
Upon arrival we were greeted by students from three other schools; we enjoyed getting to know each other over the evening meal, as they shared our interests in astronomy. The following evening, we travelled to the observatory and listened to a fascinating talk about exoplanets and how astronomers detect them using telescopes like the one at this observatory.
We were given the opportunity to view a real time simulation of the night sky under the domed ceiling in the planetarium and saw constellations including the Seven Sisters, Ursa Major and Orion in great detail. We then delved into the history of who discovered and named these stars – this was one of the highlights of the trip as we learned so much. It was truly captivating.
Much to our excitement, the weather was almost perfect for stargazing, so we headed to the observatory’s main telescope – a state-of-the-art telescope, with only one other like it in the UK. We were given the chance to look through the lens and observed the Orion Nebula. It was stunning and definitely a moment we’ll never forget. After a hot chocolate and a few games of chess in the games room, our group gathered outside once more for a chance to use Mr Mumford’s own telescope. We were able to see the orange glow of Betelgeuse and the starry cluster of the Seven Sisters. It was great to be able to ask many questions of the experts.
After a good night’s sleep, we gathered in one of the classrooms to deliver our presentations. Everyone did a brilliant job and we had a lot of fun getting into character with the help of our props. We then listened to a fascinating talk from a guest speaker from UClan, on the topic of astrophysics and predicting space weather – again, an engaging topic with lots to learn from it.
The trip was brilliant, and I would definitely recommend it to all students interested in Physics as the trip happens every year and is a remarkable opportunity for all.
Jessica Overton
Year 10
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