A view of the planets

14.03.2025

Last Tuesday evening, Mr Wright, our Network Manager, set up his large telescope in the middle of the Upper School netball court and invited Upper School parents to bring their daughters (and siblings) along to see the moon and some of the planets. 

As recently reported in the media, February saw a rather unusual line-up of all 7 planets in the evening sky at the same time.  By early March, Saturn was too close to the Sun to be seen, but the moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mars were all clearly visible to the naked eye and afforded some fascinating viewing through the telescope for the 38 children and their parents who came along.  The moon was particularly popular, being an impressive sight through the telescope, with many craters, large and small, clearly visible.  Jupiter also garnered quite a few “Wow” reactions, with its coloured bands clearly visible across the disc of the planet and three of its large moons, Callisto, Europa and Io, clearly visible on either side of the planet.  For those who stayed a bit later, the Orion Nebula was also spotted, with many of the girls commenting on the greenish-looking gas.

Overall, a fascinating and enjoyable evening for those who braved the cold.