Monday, 28 April 2025
A summer of space themed activities is blasting off this week as scientists help children from across Nottingham learn about the Universe with close-up imaging of meteorites, virtual reality space exploration and planetarium displays.
Scientists from the Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre (nmRC) and School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nottingham are putting on a programme of out-of-this-world activities with children and young people who may not usually have access to, or engage with scientific topics.=
The Make Space for Everyone event kicks off the programme on the 2 May and is working with SEND students at Yeoman’s Park Academy in Mansfield. In this session students will be able to see a live stream of the imaging of meteorite samples using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) that will give detailed, close-up images of the structure of these space rocks.
SEM is a powerful tool used to visualise the micro- and nano-structures of materials. It works by using a beam of negatively charged particles, called electrons, to scan the surface of the material, creating high-resolution images that show details as small as a few nanometres. One nanometre is approximately one hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a single human hair.
The students will also be able to use digital microscopes to do their own imaging of the meteorite samples.
We are thrilled to be working with the pupils and staff at Yeoman Park Academy to provide them with an opportunity to explore and learn more about Space. Alternative educational facilities often get overlooked for a number of reasons but as the name of the event suggests we can all ‘Make Space for Everyone
There is also a space Discovery Day at the University on 3 June where local school children will have the chance to visit the School of Physics and Astronomy and nmRC and see meteorites being imaged. They will also get to visit the new Virtual Reality suite in Engineering and be immersed in a 360 view of space using the state-of-the-art technology.
On 4 June there will be a public lecture with exciting talks on Apollo missions, moon rock imaging, and moon conspiracy theories – with hands on demonstrations for the audience.
The project team are also collaborating with the Sherwood Observatory to offer home learners the chance to get involved. They will have the opportunity to see images of the moon in the incredible planetarium and get hands on with microscopes and space themed activities.
The work we do at nmRC is incredible and reveals a hidden world we usually cannot see and we want to open that up to young people. Space is such an exciting area to explore but the tools to examine it closely are not widely available, by sharing the technology and expertise we have with young people in an exciting and interactive way we hope to ignite an interest in space and science.
There’s no better way to ignite young minds about the Universe than through activities they can see, touch, and explore. We’re especially keen to show those who might feel science isn’t for them that it truly is for everyone, and that it’s absolutely thrilling.
Story credits
More information is available from Luke Norman on luke.norman2@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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