Year 8 School Trip to Royal Observatory in Greenwich

Year 8’s recent study of Earth and Space in their science lessons culminated in a visit to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich on Friday 21st April to enrich their knowledge further. Here are some accounts from students: 

Throughout this trip, we participated in a range of exciting activities. For example, we watched an informative, immersive Planetarium show, in which we had the opportunity to take an intriguing journey into space, and visualise an absolutely incredible view of our night sky, while we learnt a variety of fascinating, fun facts from the live commentary by an astronomer. In addition, we participated in a workshop, in which we consolidated our knowledge of the topic ‘Time and Seasons’. We also had the chance to explore the Royal Observatory’s site; this includes standing on the historic Prime Meridian of the World, admiring the beautiful craftsmanship of different astronomical instruments and clocks, and visiting the oldest part of the Royal Observatory - the Octagon Room. In my opinion, this was a unique experience to complete our studies on the topic of Earth and Space. 

Isabella 8M

The science trip was a very educational and enjoyable experience! It involved a wide variety of activities which also included a lot of student participation. I really liked the planetarium since it was relaxing and made it seem like we were in space which was really cool. The person going through it explained it in lots of detail. It was also nice how we were able to work together in the workshops while learning more about space. We were also able to take a tour around the place which was great since we got to walk around rather than having to sit down for all of the activities (and we got to cross the Prime Meridian!). I wasn’t expecting the image from the camera obscura to be projected from the ceiling. The view of the city from the observatory was also spectacular. Overall it was a wonderful experience! 

Michelle 8T

After an enjoyable coach ride, we arrived and walked up a spiral set of stairs to our first workshop, which was about the seasons, and how they occur, as well as time. We also drew graphs based on the object's heights above the Earth. 

It was then time for lunch, and we soon went on a trail around the observatory. Once we reached the meridian line, we stayed there for some time, enjoying the view and taking pictures. We also managed to enter a small museum that showcased some aspects of the observatory, including compasses and telescopes. 

Overall, it was a very informative and interesting trip and I would definitely go again!

Nicole 8C