The Royal Observatory in Greenwich has created an online planetarium show coupled with commentary from expert astronomers. Adding to this, the famous observatory is organising online workshops and lectures providing opportunities for children interested in science to learn more during lockdown.
With their impressive expertise and rich history, it’s great to see the historic observatory embracing modern social media to inspire the world. While there is no shortage of online resources about the solar system on the internet, participating in a live show from the Royal Observatory is a unique experience.
Planetarium Shows on Zoom
The planetarium shows that you can watch via Zoom sessions are normally displayed at the Peter Harrison Planetarium right next to the old Royal Observatory buildings in Greenwich. Sitting at home watching on your own screen is not going to be the same experience as the original show, but the live commentary does make it a much more genuine experience than just watching a regular documentary about space.
Interactive Online Family Workshop
As part of the £5 ticket, you also get a free ticket to a “Charting our Solar System” family workshop. This is an online interactive event where participants will be drawing a model of the solar system led by a Royal Observatory astronomer. By using the correct scale, they’ll find out about the many objects in our solar system and learn about the vast distances between objects in space.