At-Bristol's New Planetarium!

By Laura Rogers

                                                                  

At-Bristol has recently undergone a million pound re-vamp of its planetarium, and I was lucky enough to attend one of their 3D shows.

As the show began, we were told about the extent of the upgrade, and were soon launched from the Earth, with our first view being of the Earth from space. Considering the fact that I get travel sick, so would prefer not to be launched into actual space, this was the closest I will ever be to seeing the earth from above our atmosphere. It was a breath-taking moment, as the three dimensional effects of the planetarium made it feel so real. You could hear the “ahhhh” of the audience as we all stared in amazement.

We then began virtually exploring the solar system, learning about each planet in turn; from being educated about Jupiter’s moons, to the atmosphere of Venus. I had not realised quite how toxic Venus’ atmosphere was, and if we were to actually have landed on the surface, rather than virtually doing so, we would be dead within seconds! However, what was most impressive was that all the comparisons shown were to scale and any incredible figures used were well backed up.

The show not only provided entertainment and spectacular views, but was an educational experience, and is something that I would highly recommend to anyone.