Bringing outer space to inner Dublin

The European Space Expo is coming to Trinity College, Dublin next week, with interactive exhibits and workshops that tell the story the European Space programme.

The expo is currently under construction and will be ready for its opening day next Tuesday.

Its enclosed dome will provide an ideal hands-on environment for young people to learn about space, says solar physicist prof Peter Gallagher of Trinity.

There’ll be information and exhibits about “exploding stars, the sun and the early universe” and many other things, Prof Gallagher says.

There are soapbox talks that involve speakers standing on a crate, and delivering 10-minute talks on a variety of space-related wonders, in an interesting and engaging way.

There are also hands-on workshops conducted every day. Children can use scientific data to draw the perfect star.

Young people can control a telescope in Tenerife and take pictures of the sun. People can even embrace their inner scientists by donning a lab coat, goggles and gloves, and build their very own comets made out of amino acids, sand and dry ice.

Or you could just walk around, Prof Gallagher concedes.

Prof Gallagher says the event will showcase the “benefits of space technology for our everyday lives” and will show people what it is that Irish universities and companies do in these areas.

Tours can also be booked for groups by logging onto bookings@spaceexpo.ie.