Stella the Star-Gazer

Hello everyone!  My name is Stella Mo Polaris, and I joined Sonning Bear's hug this summer, thanks to their kind friend Deborah who looks after the Berkshire Bears.  

I don't join them on very many adventures because I have white fur and I am not a washable bear, but I was invited on the trip to Blackpool.

I loved visiting the ballroom and having afternoon tea, being very careful not to get strawberry jam or chocolate on my fur, but my favourite part of the journey came on the way home, when Polar, Grizzly and Mr Robert visited the Jodrell Bank radio telescope.

I am very interested in science and astronomy, partly because my name means "Pole Star", so I found the visitor centre really interesting.  Human guardian Polar didn't take many photos inside as she didn't think she was supposed to and there were human cubs everywhere, but there are displays about different types of star, about how radio astronomy works and about how scientists think the universe was made and evolved, as well as experiments for human cubs and small bears to do.  

There is a planetarium-style cinema too, where you can watch films about space exploration which make you feel as if you are travelling through space.  I thought that was amazing!

Hanley Bear came with me to see Jodrell Bank, because he also loves anything to do with science.  After our visit to the visitor centre, our human guardians carried us towards the huge radio telescope dish.  There was an exhibition of prize-winning astro-photograph on the way, which we stopped to look at.

Hanley and I hope that Polar will try to take some night-time photos with her best camera, when she has worked out how to do clever things with it, but she says it's very hard to take space photos from our house because there are too many streetlights and also "light pollution" from the shopping centre that leaves its lights on all night.

We could not stay very long at Jodrell Bank, as we had to get Mr Robert home before it got late, but I hope I will be allowed to go with everyone if they visit again.  

I am also hoping for clear skies this week so we can see the International Space Station, although my friend Hanley is in two minds about that as he would like clouds to bring some snow.  I'm not sure that he's quite as serious about science as I am!

If you enjoy looking at the stars and studying space, you might enjoy this blog from the UK space agency about what to look for in December.  I certainly hope to see some meteorites!

 The night sky in December - UK Space Agency blog