BBC Stargazing LIVE at Eden: astronomy event

Date: Tuesday 17 January 2012
Time: 6 – 9.30pm
Price: free (you will not require an Eden entry ticket to attend this event)

Activities on offer

We will be working with our friends at the Roseland Observatory and the University of Plymouth to offer a wide range of exciting activities.

• Find out more about our galaxy by taking a look at the stars through a variety of professional telescopes.
• Visit distant corners of the universe in a portable planetarium.
• See live feeds from observatories around the world.
• Handle and study meteorites through microscopes.
• See Eden’s Biome lights being switched off. 
• Listen to a wide range of talks from experts on the basics of the night sky, the life and death of stars, photography of stars and planets and much more.
• Get the kids involved in activities, including a workshop about the locations of the moon landings and astronomy-themed colouring in.

More about the BBC Stargazing LIVE series

Stargazing LIVE (co-produced by the Open University) returns for a second three-night series on BBC Two set to encourage everyone to learn more about the night sky. It will be broadcast over three nights – 16 to 18 January  – and Eden is due to be part of the final two programmes.

Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain will broadcast live from the control room of the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, interacting live with the audience and calling on a starry collection of the country’s finest astronomical minds to explore the majestic wonders of the skies above Britain.

The pair will tackle some of the most intriguing questions in astronomy, such as:

• 'why does the moon cause the tides?'
• 'how do we know where black holes are when they are impossible to see?'
• 'what will we actually say if we ever make contact with an alien race?'

Closer to home, there will also be hints and tips for getting started in stargazing and advice on navigating your way around the skies.

Find out more on the BBC Stargazing LIVE website.