Well now you can voyage beyond the night sky with leaving your deckchair in Manchester’s new pop-up planetarium.
Planetarium Go! has sprouted up in front of Manchester’s Central Library in St Peter’s Square for the next fortnight and with a variety of shows on offer, it gives budding astronomers and astronauts a glimpse beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
As someone who has been mesmerised by space travel since a young age and what lies beyond the stars, this was something I was keen to visit when offered the chance – and I wasn’t disappointed.
Inside the temporary dome, I chose a show exclusive to this visit to Manchester entitled ‘The Guided Tour – Discover Your Night Sky’.
This was a 40-minute show with a live guide talking us through some of the features of the night sky. That live guide for my show was Oldham astronomer, Dr Steven Gough-Kelly.
Through wireless headphones, as we settled into our reclined deckchairs to gaze around the 360 degrees surround screen above, our guide pointed out features we may see on a clear night – albeit not so much in the light-polluted metropolis that is Manchester.
Going beyond Earth’s atmosphere the constellations are explained including Ursa Major and Minor, or the Great and Little Bears, Polaris (the North Star) and several galaxies including the Milky Way and Andromeda. For those of us not lucky enough to live in unpolluted skies or without the use of a telescope, it is a real treat to get to witness the night sky in all its glory.
The excellent show, expertly guided by Dr Gough-Kelly, is perfect for adults and youngsters alike and there is even time for a Q&A at the end for those with a burning question about the stars or other sights in the night sky.
And if astronomy isn’t exactly your thing, there are other shows on offer throughout each day to pick from – six in total in Manchester – ranging from Exploring the Solar System, From Earth to the Universe, Beyond the Sun, Voyager: The Never-ending Story and 3-2-1 Lift Off.
Whether you are an amateur stargazer, or have had you interest in space reignited by the recent historic Artemis II mission to the moon, these short films are just the thing to quench that thirst to go and break that final frontier. And with prices starting at just £15 for adult general admission, it is an affordable way to get that out of this world experience.
It’s definitely worth boldly going to witness those galaxies far, far away.
• Planetarium Go! is open in St. Peter’s Square in central Manchester until May 23, 10am-7pm Sunday to Thursday and 10am-8.30pm Friday and Saturday. General admission prices range from £15-£22 for adults with discounts for students and family bundle offers with children under four free with a paying adult. Tickets are available to buy on the website at https://planetariumgo.co.uk/ or in person in the ticket box which is located next to the dome. The Guided Tour – Discover your night sky show is only available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6.15pm.