Blast off!

October 4th- 10th is World Space Week, with the theme of Discovery. Will your school be doing anything to mark it? If you are looking to inspire space exploration in your class then we have an experience just right for your budding astronauts with our ‘Mission to Mars’ workshop.
1024px-Eagle_Nebula_from_ESO
Liz Avery is the Astronomy Education Manager at the Royal Observatory Greenwich and she is our guest blogger this week.
‘Space is such a fascinating subject on so many levels. There is still so much we don’t know about space which is an exciting prospect because there is so much left to discover. It really is important that we give young people a glimpse into the wonderful world of space science and fuel their enthusiasm in it because one day they could be the people making ground-breaking discoveries that change how we think about the Universe forever!
You can stargaze: on holiday, at school, from your garden and even on the way home from school. If you live in the countryside the sky will be nice and dark so it is easy to see things in the sky. If you are in the city like us astronomers here at the Royal Observatory Greenwich though don’t panic; we stargaze from the middle of London all the time and still see lots of amazing sights. All you have to do is look up.
Your eyes are perfect for looking at the Moon, stars and even planets; you really don’t need anything more to find some of the most well known stellar signposts. If you want to look for things like galaxies or at anything up a little closer then a pair of binoculars or a telescope will be handy. We have more about planning an observing trip on our website. 
Young people can also get involved with our Creative Cosmos project which will launch during Space Week on 5th October 2015. Creative Cosmos is brought to you in association with the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Creative Cosmos gives you the chance to explore the wonderful world of astronomy and earn bronze, silver and gold astronomy badges along the way.  As well as the badges there are some amazing and exclusive prizes to be won; we have books, goodie bags and even the opportunity to have your photos used in a Royal Observatory Greenwich planetarium show for thousands of students to see and get inspired by – WOW!  You can get as involved as you like with Creative Cosmos.
Creative Cosmos runs between October 2015 and April 2016.  Whether you are a budding astronomer already or a complete beginner who just wants to see what it is all about just jump on in and get involved.  The Royal Observatory Astronomers will be with you the whole way along providing hints and tips as well as awarding the badges each fortnight.  So what are you waiting for?  Let’s get cracking!
As well as Creative Cosmos we have blogs, podcasts and video chats with a member of our astronomy team.  We will also be launching our brand new videos all about Rosetta and Philae and also space rocks!  Keep an eye on our Vimeo page for details.’
You can follow the Royal Observatory on twitter @ROGAstronomers or find out more on their website http://www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory