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in partnership with the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust

 

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Light and Telescopes

One of the first people to study light was Ibn al-Haytham (known as Alhazen). He was a Muslim, living in Egypt in the early 11th Century. Alhazen is first person we know of who used the scientific method. He wanted to know why our eyes could see things.

A simple experiment using paper and a light source to show light travels in straight lines..
This work by The Schools' Observatory is licensed under All rights reserved
A simple experiment using paper and a light source to show light travels in straight lines

Ancient Astronomy

Our ideas about the Solar System and space have changed over time. People have looked to the skies for thousands of years. They have looked at the movement of the stars and the changes of the Sun and Moon.

Eratosthenes is teaching a younger man. in the photo Eratosthenes is pointing at a book. The younger man is holding a celestial globe, indicating a focus on astronomy or geography. The painting is set in a dark background, highlighting the figures and their expressions of concentration
This work by Bernardo Strozzi (1581–1644) is licensed under Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal
A painting of Eratosthenes teaching in Alexandria

Stargazing Glossary

Welcome to our stargazing glossary! 

Here, you'll find key terms that will help you better understand the wonders of the night sky. 

The image shows a person looking through a telescope silhouetted against a starry night sky, with a clear view of the Milky Way. On the right side, there is an icon of a book labeled "A-Z," indicating a glossary
This work by The Schools' Observatory is licensed under All rights reserved

Just For Fun!

Have a go at our space-themed puzzles! This set of printable activities includes a spot-the-difference, a word-search, plus a couple of astro-dokus!

And don't worry, we've included an answer sheet too.