Our trip to the Armagh planetarium in October was full of fun and interesting facts.

On arrival we had lunch then were lead to a room with rows of seats and a huge dome over our heads. We reclined our seats, the lights were turned off and a movie was shown on the dome. The movie was all about how astronauts train and their experiences in space. I found this part of the day the most interesting and enjoyable.

After the movie we were organised into teams to debate different issues involved in space exploration and later to test our knowledge of space in a light hearted table quiz.

Before we headed home we had free time to explore the planetarium and its many interactive exhibits. There was lots to learn, different shaped galaxies, the Hubble telescope, Mars landings, effects of space on the human body, satellite images...and a test if our reflexes as we had fun trying to squash space bugs!
Overall this day trip was well worth while and I would recommend a visit to the planetarium to anyone with even the vaguest interest in astronomy.


Ronan Coyne TY.