Students have recently taken part in a science engagement project delivered by Durham University Physics department. The activity involved an inflatable planetarium.

The planetarium, which is run by volunteers in Physics, gave students an insight into Astronomy and consequently a glimpse of the vastness of the Universe and our place in it. Students gained a perspective of how small we are within the grand scheme of things, and how fragile Earth, its atmosphere and its ecosystems are.

Inside the inflatable dome structure, students marvelled at the thousands of stars, planets and constellations that were projected onto the walls, and listened to the stories behind some of the well-known constellations. They also learned about the North Star, the only one in the sky that doesn’t move, and discovered that it has been used as a navigator for thousands of years.