In March, students in Years 7-13 attended an evening learning event at the Kielder Observatory, located in the heart of Kielder Forest, which boasts some of the darkest skies in the UK. Here, Year 13 student, Daniel B reports on the experience.

"The observatory itself is an extremely unusual building. There are no dome-like structures on the roof as expected; instead, its wooden design makes it look more like a summer cabin than a conventional observatory. The reason behind this unique design, was to meet the necessary requirements for creating a contemporary structure in the forest, that being a visually appealing building that didn't clash with the environment and that would mature naturally alongside its surroundings."

"Inside the observatory, our guide, Tony spoke about astronomy and the science involved in it; he also led a thought-provoking debate on the possibility of life on another universe and answered the many questions posed by our group. Tony and his volunteers then took us to see the amazing Kielder telescopes. Unfortunately, due to poor weather conditions, we weren't able to appreciate their full capability, however we did learn how to operate both the 20-inch telescope and the computerised 16-inch telescope, and admire the technology and engineering involved in their construction."

"It was fascinating to see the facilities and the equipment that astronomers use when observing distant galaxies and stars, and easy to understand why they speak with such passion about their subject, although none of us were envious of the cold conditions they are used to working in! The whole experience has certainly inspired an interest in Astronomy among the whole group."