Space Rocks!

What does a piece of the Moon look like up close? Have you seen a piece of the Winchcombe meteorite that fell in Gloucestershire in 2021?

We’re bringing space rocks to Bluedot! Join the Earth and Solar System team from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences to hold pieces of the Moon collected by the Apollo astronauts. Get up-close with the Winchcombe meteorite, the first meteorite observed to fall in the UK for over 30 years.

Spotting​ ​rocks​ ​from​ ​space is​​ easy​ ​when​ ​​they’re still​ hurtling​ through ​​the ​​sky.​ ​But​ ​once​ ​they’ve landed, how​ can we​ tell them from​​ other​ boulders,​ stones​ or​ pebbles? Try​ ​out​ ​some​ ​space​ sleuthing​ ​yourself​ ​by​ ​trying​ ​out​ ​the​ ​tricks​ ​and​ ​techniques ​used​ by​ astro-geologists from the Earth​ ​and​ ​Solar​ ​System​ ​team​ to find meteorites here on Earth.

While you’re here, venture into the fascinating world of Planetary Science, learn about the formation and history of our Solar System, and discover how 4.5 billion year old meteorites hold the key to understanding the history of our Solar System and how it evolved.