With astronomy hitting the headlines of late, it was fitting that our Y7 boys enjoyed the opportunity to look to the skies through the telescopes at our observatory over the last two weeks – not to mention for their forthcoming Earth and Space topic.
The after school sessions for the Y7 boys each commenced with a brilliant planetarium show, which detailed the night sky visible from Bedford, before the boys then headed outdoors and to the observatory to observe the night skies for themselves.
The boys were fortunate to observe Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune on several nights. In addition, they took a closer look at several binary star systems, including Albireo and Polaris, open clusters Messier 45 (The Pleiades ), Messier 37 and, of course, Messier 42 (the Orion Nebula*). They also spotted a pass of the International Space Station low in the south.
While the first full moon of the year was a sight to see, the boys also learned that the light it creates hinders stargazing and is not always loved by astronomers!
OB CHARLES PIAZZI SMYTH (1827-1835)
The Bedford School observatory is named after Old Bedfordian and Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Charles Piazzi Smyth. Click here to learn about this colourful OB and how you can also observe the Orion Nebula.
