Eden Project visitors to get close-up view of heavenly bodies

December 30, 2010

The Eden Project will be hosting an evening of astronomy on January 4 as part of the BBC Stargazing LIVE programmes.

Visitors to Eden will get the opportunity to learn about the night sky with experts from the Roseland Observatory.

Stargazers are hoping that the Quadrantids meteor shower will be visible that evening, completing an exciting day of celestial activity that is due to begin with a partial solar eclipse in the morning.

There will also be the chance to use high-powered telescopes at the project’s Visitor Centre from 5pm to 10pm and see video feeds from telescopes around the world, as well as footage of the partial solar eclipse recorded at Eden earlier in the day.

Martin Williams, Eden’s Sales and Marketing Director, said: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming some of Cornwall’s top astronomers to Eden to show our visitors the exciting world of the night sky.”

Brian Sheen, Director of the Roseland Observatory, said: "I’m very excited to be able to see a solar eclipse and possibly a meteor shower in the same day at Eden – there’s going to be a lot going on in the sky that day! Hopefully if it’s a clear evening we’ll be able to see Uranus and Jupiter very close to one another, a very rare occurrence.

”We’re glad to be working with the Eden Project on such an exciting event and hope we can give the visitors some fascinating facts about the solar system.”

Entry to the Stargazing LIVE evening event is free.

Stargazing LIVE is airing on BBC 2 on January 3, 4 and 5 and is hosted by top physicist Brian Cox and comedian Dara O’Briain.