Bringing space closer
Space may seem a long way away from Stratford, but last week it came a little bit closer for the hundreds of children and adults, who enjoyed a visit to the Starlab Dome at the Stratford War Memorial Centre last week.
Starlab is a portable planetarium taken to schools and other venues around the North Island.
It involves an inflated dome which could be described as a “blow up igloo”. The night sky is projected on to the inside roof of the dome for people who sit inside.
Gloria Witheford, an astronomy educator with more than 30 years’ experience, is the owner and operator of Starlab and says she enjoys introducing children, and adults to the wonders of space.
Andrea Matthews, acting director of community services at Stratford District Council, says thanks to a grant from TSB Community Trust, Council was able to offer schools and community groups the opportunity to book visits to the Starlab Dome free of charge.
A couple of sessions were also held with the Starlab Dome open to the public, meaning people of all ages were able to visit it during while it was in Stratford.
Starlab’s visit was timed perfectly for Matariki, the Ma¯ ori name for the cluster of stars known as the Pleiades. These stars rise mid-winter and mark the celebration of the Ma¯ ori new year.
When the Stratford Press visited Starlab on Thursday, pupils from Ngaere School were about to enter the dome. As well as being able to see constellations projected onto the ceiling, youngsters were also able to hold a meteorite.
“Meteorites are the only thing from space that children can hold and inspect,” says Gloria, who bought the meteorites to enhance the experience youngsters get when visiting the Starlab Dome.