Little Stargazing

On their way to a Dark Sky park, one of the darkest places in the country, Emma and Joshua learn about light pollution. On arrival at the park, they find out how to use the North Star to find constellations and how to tell the difference between a star and a planet.

Amy and Sam visit the beach and spot the Moon during the daytime. Why is it visible in daylight? What relationship does it have with the sea? The two children look up at the sky through binoculars and learn about the phases of the Moon. At the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh they have a closer look at the Moon and find out about craters, mountains and other features.

Dublin, Arenia and Eliana meet two astronauts. The first astronaut, Jeff Hoffman, helps the children launch their very own rockets and describes the feeling of weightlessness. They then speak to Bonnie Dunbar over an internet video call. Bonnie answers all their questions about living in space and shows them some amazing videos of astronauts in space.

Harry, Halle and their dads visit Lapland to search for the northern lights. There they meet Andy, an aurora hunter, who takes them out on an expedition to look for the aurora borealis. The northern lights are unpredictable and no-one knows when the lights might show. They do not appear on the first night but the children do get to spend time in a traditional Finnish tent - known as a lavvu. The second night is much more successful; they spot the lights and even manage to have their photo taken under them.