13 January 2012
The night sky above Deri is to feature in a national TV event this week.
'Stargazing LIVE' (co-produced by the Open University) returns for a second three-night series on BBC Two on 16th, 17th and 18th January and is set to encourage everyone – from the complete beginner to the enthusiastic amateur – to make the most of the night sky.
Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain will broadcast live from the control room of the Jodrell Bank Observatory, 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.
Last year, up to 40,000 took part in Stargazing astronomy activities in the UK. This year, BBC Learning and the Stargazing LIVE team are hoping even more people get involved, with hundreds of events and Star Parties being organised from Lands End to Aberdeen with the help of partners around the country.
The village of Deri will play a key role in the event with highlights including:
- A fun packed day for the children in Deri Primary School learning about our solar system and making rockets ahead of the GRAND ROCKET LAUNCH at the school at 3pm until 4pm on the 16th of January.
- An exclusive BBC Stargazing Live event at Deri near Bargoed between 5.30pm and 9pm on Monday the 16th January. Open to the public, the event will be located at two venues in Deri; the Primary School and the Community Centre where there will be an opportunity to learn more about our solar system in our planetarium, find out more about asteroids, discover how robots are built and explore the moon and an amazing opportunity to observe the night sky with Dark Skies Wales (weather permitting).
BBC Learning has created a range of free resources, available at events and to download from the website, including a new and improved Stargazing LIVE Star and Moon Guide for every beginner. The trusty companion guide shows how to observe the sky and spot major craters and the sites of the Apollo Moon Landings, keeping the amateur astronomer busy all year round.
To find out more visit www.bbc.co.uk/stargazing.
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