Tottenhill Village Hall hosts Hands-on Astronomy organised by King’s Lynn and District Astronomy Society on January 28

Hands-on Astronomy for aspiring stargazers is back for 2023 bigger and better than ever – and still free!

It runs from 2-5pm on Saturday, January 28 at Tottenhill Village Hall, and will continue up to 8pm for observation if skies are clear.

Anyone who has ever looked up at the sky and had questions about what they see will find something to interest them at the event, organised by King’s Lynn and District Astronomy Society, with plenty to offer stargazers young and old.

Hands-on activities will include the opportunity to fire air and water-powered ‘rockets’, do experiments to investigate how gravity works, examine how planets are formed and make edible constellations.

Visitors will be able to handle a piece of space rock, watch a short guide to finding your way around the night sky and walk through the solar system – set up to demonstrate some of the scale involved in just a tiny part of the Milky Way.

There will also be able to learn more about the James Webb Telescope, which offers exciting new possibilities to increase our knowledge of the universe, and see and try out some of the smaller telescopes including specialist solar scopes that allow safe viewing of the sun.

For those interested in astrophotography there will be the chance to talk to members who regularly have photos published about their work, and to talk to members more generally about what the society does.

Additionally, visitors can learn how to help preserve dark skies and find out the best places in Norfolk for observing and taking photos.

John Craythorne, acting chair of the society, said: “After an enforced break due to the pandemic, I’m delighted that we are able to bring back Hands-on Astronomy. Having had a lifelong passion for astronomy, it’s wonderful to be able to share that.”

A small charge is made if visitors wish to buy refreshments, which helps the society to cover the cost of materials for the event.