Spaceman’s star lesson
EUROPEAN Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake has given budding young Swansea astronauts a first look at space.
Tim revealed secrets of the universe to a group of Year 5 and Year 6 primary school children from Sea View Primary School in Swansea.
They were under some of the darkest skies of the year in the Gower Peninsula at Arthur’s Stone, Cefn Bryn.
The former Apache helicopter pilot, flight instructor, and test pilot led the six budding scientists to a stargazing camp on a dark night for their first experience of the wonders of the sky at night – as part of a Visit Wales and Welsh Government initiative. November is one of the best times of year to see dark skies, due to lower levels of water vapour, dust and haze.
The children were given a unique lesson in gazing up at the stars by one of the few people on the planet who has looked down at Earth from space, finding out how to spot the constellations that make up the Milky Way, neighbouring planets in our solar system as well as galaxies such as Andromeda.
Wales has some of the darkest, clearest and most unpolluted skies in the world and it has the highest percentage of land with protected dark skies status on the planet.
Tim, who recently attended the Cop26 conference to discuss solutions for climate change, said: “Looking down at Earth from the International Space Station gives a unique perspective of our fragile planet and how connected we are across the globe. And looking up at the night sky from Earth is as important as looking down from above. It reveals the wonders of our universe and shows children that they have a lifetime of limitless possibilities ahead of them. Not all young people have the same access to dark skies, but it’s so important to look up to the stars and be inspired for the future, to understand why we need to protect the planet and to ask the big questions about life.
“Wales offers a huge number of opportunities for seeing the night’s sky at its best with Dark Sky Reserves and Dark Sky Parks and of course low levels of light pollution.”
In December 2015, Tim became the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station and conduct a spacewalk during his six-month mission. He also ran the London marathon from space.
His mission engaged more than two million students in outreach activities and he is an ambassador for Stem education.
Tim regularly visits Wales and famously wished the people of Wales a Happy St David’s Day from aboard the International Space Station in 2016.