Kaitāia Primary students Skylnn Parker and L’Starn Robertson were excited to touch a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite - it was cold and heavy - at Tūhura Otago Museum’s travelling, interactive science roadshow at Te Ahu on Wednesday. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
Kaitāia Primary students Skylnn Parker and L’Starn Robertson were excited to touch a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite - it was cold and heavy - at Tūhura Otago Museum’s travelling, interactive science roadshow at Te Ahu on Wednesday. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
How far away is the moon, what does space junk look like, how to get lost in a black hole and what does a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite feel like?
These important scientific questions, and more, are being answered for Far North schoolkids in a travelling science exhibition from Tūhura Otago Museum that is being held at Te Ahu until August 12, before heading to Whangārei Central Library from August 14-28.
Developed by Tūhura Otago Museum in Dunedin, the Tūhura Tuarangi (meaning ‘to discover space’) – Aotearoa in Space science showcase aims to inspire tamariki about space and science.
It’s designed to get young people to be ready to blast off on a space adventure in the free, hands-on space science showcase, bringing visitors of all ages an out-of-this-world experience.
Hands-on space experiences allow visitors to launch rockets, build satellites, and create (and ignite) their own rocket fuel. There is a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite that visitors are encouraged to touch and hold as they learn about humankind’s shared whakapapa with the night sky.
Te Ramaroa Smith, and Ari Robson, from Kaitāia Primary, were astronauts for while at Te Ahu on Wednesday. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
Visitors can also touch a piece of space junk that crash-landed on a New Zealand farm or even get lost in a black hole simulation. There are lots of exciting things to discover and explore.
Tūhura Otago Museum’s Christine Wierda is one of the team of science communicators travelling with the showcase and said science is such an important subject, and while some people may see it as a serious subject, the roadshow was all about ‘having a lot of fun with science”.
Wierda said the roadshow made science approachable and easy to engage with for school students - and adults - that was not daunting or dry.
Josh Weerdenburg, Motat visitor experience teacher, shows Kaitāia Primary students how the Earth revolves around the Sun in a demonstration as part of Tūhura Otago Museum’s science showcase. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
‘’The showcase is very interactive and digestible for everybody, presenting science in a fun and exciting way - and the kids love to be able to get involved and touch items like the meteorite.
‘’Hopefully it will impress them and get them interested in wanting to learn more and get involved in science. Everybody that comes though seems to have great time, and with everybody being different and finding different things interesting or exciting, we have plenty of diverse items here to keep them all engaged.’’
She hopes visitors will be excited to explore the wonders of space and learn about the world-leading space research and technology being developed right here in Aotearoa.
“It’s wonderful seeing tamariki getting hands-on with space and science, I love the way their faces light up when they are engaged and learning something new. We want to show Kiwi kids that they can be a part of our space industry and help shape the future direction of Aotearoa New Zealand’s engagement with space.”
Tūhura Otago Museum’s science communicator Christine Wierda explains to Kaitāia Primary students how a rocket works at Te Ahu. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
The showcase was launched in October 2022 with funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and essential contributions from Kiwi space companies and research organisations nationwide.
Since its launch, Tūhura Tuarangi has visited more than 20 cities and towns throughout Aotearoa, attracting over 40,000 visitors. Tūhura Otago Museum’s science engagement team have also hosted over 120 sessions with primary and secondary school students from schools around the country.
More information about the showcase’s tour dates and locations can be found online at otagomuseum.nz/spaceshowcase.
Kaitāia Primary students got to see what space junk looked like, with this copper-coloured object from a space rocket that crash-landed on a New Zealand farm. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
