A Planetarium comes to Knighton School – thanks to the Co-op

Knighton School pupils will have the chance to learn about the solar system and the night sky thanks to the visit of a planetarium

Educational Outreach officers for the Elan Valley,  Sam Price and Matt Gadfield are passionate about the night sky. In their mobile Planetarium they tell young students about the solar system and the myths and legends behind star constellations. 

Slides of the planets and stars are projected on the domed roof of the planetarium to make a magical space.

Sam and her assistant Matt will visit Knighton School on October 15 with their planetarium, and tell students at the school how to enjoy the night sky and how to protect the environment.

They said: “But what we are able to see when we look up at the night sky is badly affected by light pollution.

“Concern about this started a movement to protect the night sky, and the Elan Valley has been a “Dark Skies Park” for 10 years. The details of the night sky are gloriously apparent in the Elan Valley, because the street lighting and domestic lighting has been carefully designed. 

“Not only is this amazing for us, it’s also good for birds and insects, and consumes less energy too. There are plans to curb light pollution across Powys - so that children can again see the stars from their back garden.”

The Knighton Midcounties Co-op has made Sam’s visit possible through a generous grant from their “Doing Good Together” scheme. 

This Co-op grant fund has also helped finance other local environmental projects, such as a safe-bathing project in the River Teme. 

Knighton Primary School takes the environment very seriously, and has its own Eco Council run by the students. Recently they have made a rainforest in a shoebox, and a fantastic “Kite’s Nest” sculpture about migration made with the help of local artists.

Everyone at the school is looking to welcoming Sam and Matt and their Planetarium to Knighton!