The Herald - The Herald Magazine
A universal experience of wonder
An out-of-this-world adventure awaits at Kirkcudbright’s Dark Space Planetarium, where visitors on a mission to learn all about the universe will have an absolute blast. By Nan Spowart
FOR hundreds of years artists have been drawn to the picturesque town of Kirkcudbright for the quality of its daylight but now people are flocking to the area because of the quality of the night sky.
The minimal light pollution allows for the stars and planets to be seen in all their glory and the nearby Galloway Forest Park is recognised as one of the very best places to stargaze in Europe.
In 2009, its breathtaking and rare stargazing conditions were recognised by the International Dark-Sky Association and it became a designated Gold Tier Dark Sky Park.
Kirkcudbright’s Dark Space Planetarium has been developed to build on the dark sky accolade by providing a complementary visitor attraction that can be visited come rain or shine.
The facility is housed within a former primary school, dating from Victorian times, which has been transformed by the community group Kirkcudbright Development Trust, after they secured £2.6 million to rescue the building.
The visitor centre includes a stateof-the-art space themed interactive exhibition and 360 degree planetarium dome. “The granite facade hides the secret that lies within, so when people enter there is always a ‘wow’ moment. They don’t expect to see such an impressive and modern space inside a historic building” said manager Frances Coombey.
Space themed films are shown on a full dome screen, which due to its small size has excellent resolution.
“It’s an intimate and immersive experience,” said Coombey.
There are also occasional live shows where the audience is “flown” off the Earth and through the solar system to the edges of the galaxy, as well as films about life beyond Earth and trips to the moon.
The planetarium regularly runs popular film screenings, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Wall-E.
Special events are also organised, including a recent live talk given by Steve Owens, author of Stargazing for Dummies.
Already proving very popular, the Dark Space Planetarium has welcomed
more than 7,500 visitors since it opened last summer despite pandemic restrictions limiting the number of admissions.
The interactive exhibition area is particularly enjoyed by family groups.
“We often have grandparents visiting with their grandchildren and they all join in on the fun,” said Coombey.
“We always say it is for the young and the young at heart – the activities are suitable for everyone who wants to join in. Older visitors often tell us their stories about how they remember watching the moon landing on the television. Space is a topic everyone can enjoy and there is constantly more to discover.”
Visitors can test their skills to find out if they would make a good astronaut, fuel and launch a rocket, use a robotic arm to collect space rocks and enjoy many other fascinating interactives about planets, the sun and gravity.
There is a planisphere for star gazing, a device that can be turned to see what the constellations look like at different times of the year.
Other popular exhibits include the infrared camera, orbit well and the satellite story.
“As a charity, our aim is to educate but to do it in a fun, engaging and exciting way so that visitors enjoy themselves and learn all about science at the same time,” said Coombey.
“We have had a really great response with people visiting from all over the UK and Ireland and it is satisfying to see families having so much fun together.”
Coombey added: “The Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park is an incredible place to visit and a fantastic asset for the area, with many people travelling here to view the spectacular Milky Way.
“However, Scottish weather means that stargazing is not always possible, and our indoor facility is an ideal attraction for visitors during the day.”