Stargazing event at Sidmouth attracts more than 100

SIDMOUTH’S Norman Lockyer Observatory hosted an evening for more than 100 stargazers alongside the BBC’s Stargazing Live event on Monday.

Many volunteers arrived early to set up their own telescopes and prepare the three historic telescopes so visitors had many different things to see.

A talk on How did it all Begin? looked at how our solar system began and particularly how the moon was made and how it has changed over the millions of years since its birth.

Bill Hitchings conducted three planetarium shows, explaining different parts of the night’s sky and some of the mythological stories behind the constellations.

All three of the historic telescopes were viewing Jupiter and everyone had the opportunity to learn about the telescopes and see the planet.

A projector outside had Jupiter and different distant galaxies projected on to an outside wall.

NLO spokeswoman, Kate Allen, said: “We were very lucky with the weather this year as it was a wonderful evening, with over 100 people visiting us.

“All enjoyed their time with us and went home with posts, postcards and a Planisphere from the BBC.”