As a Christmas treat for my youngest son I decided to take him to see the Winchester Science Centre in Hampshire, UK, where I booked two viewings in the planetarium and one science show as well as access to all the museum exhibits. The whole place is run as a charity to help children discover STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and inspire our next generation of scientists and explorers.
The first hour was spent looking around all the interactive exhibits (pictured at top), pull on this for this to happen, flick this for that to happen, that kind of thing. A number of interesting scientists were displayed on a wall showing how they became who they are (or were) and how they got to that place. Prominent there is Professor Stephen Hawking, who challenged his body breaking down with Motor Neurones Disease to become one of the most famous scientists in the world.
The first show at the planetarium started at 1100 hours and it was a video narrated by Andy Serkis (most famous for playing Gollum in Lord of the Rings) who explained the build up of our planet and how the elements came together to make human beings over the thousands of years, with the history of the universe going back to billions of years! Some great graphics making you feel like you are floating in space gives that extra 4D experience, with lots of knowledge thrown out there. Needless to say there were some amazed faces when the show ended.
Show number two was now a live speaker who worked there giving a brief insight into the solar system, going to each planet individually as they shot across the screen above us with a fascinating view of each of the members of the Milky Way, including the dwarf planets, constellations and how they interact with the sun. Each of the hundreds of moons and their paths of orbit brought up on the screen with lines criss-crossing and gasps of “wow” from the children in the audience as they realise just how small they really are!
Did you know that Uranus is actually on its side? The planet orbits around the sun with the rings surrounding it going top to bottom instead of around the middle like a belt. This means that technically this planet is rolling around the sun!
Out again into the museum and we stay for the final show, a free science demonstration where the host explain all the different types of gases and setting fire to three of them to show their combustion to the excited cheers of even the adults as the WHHOOMMPPPHHH of hydrogen exploding was up there with the delighted noises of those who watch fireworks in the night sky.
So a great day out, my son loved every second, as did I. With so much to learn and be inspired with, Winchester Science Centre is a must for anyone especially those who want to teach their kids about cool stuff that is real and even better if they have an interest in a career in physics or space!
With a well-stocked gift shop for all ages (including lots of books!), the car park can be booked online as can the tickets. To break up the day there you can stop for coffee and cakes in between shows. Highly recommended.
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Richard M. Jones is an author and historian specialising in disasters and shipwrecks along with two World Wars. Spending his time between Hampshire and Yorkshire, he has put up 12 memorials to victims of forgotten tragedies and published 19 books along the way.