Pupils at Kings Monkton School, Cardiff were delighted to get their hands on real pieces of space, including a rare collection of meteorites and moon rocks
Ever wondered what it’s like to hold real pieces of moon rock and meteorites" Well, pupils at the Cardiff-based Kings Monkton School could certainly give you an insight, after they were invited to study a rare lunar collection provided by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Children enjoyed a unique experience using geologist lenses to magnify pieces of moon rock, as well as a nickel-iron meteorite that is 4.5 billion years old and was found in Argentina. They also had access to soil from the moon, which had been excavated during the Apollo missions of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and a meteorite fragment found in Africa. While much of the lunar material brought back by NASA is used for scientific research, small quantities have been allocated to form educational packages for schools, with an aim to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
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Chris Remigio, Kings Monkton’s Head of Science, said: “The pupils have shown a real sense of intrigue when exploring the lunar samples and it?s great to see such hands-on interactions with modern science. This has been a money-can?t-buy experience for them.
“I?d definitely urge other schools to take up the opportunity to give their pupils this onc...