Reach for the stars: Napier kids take off on a space adventure

School students taking part in Tūhura Tuarangi, Aotearoa in Space interactive experiences.

Kids are getting ready to research infinity and beyond as a traveling hands-on space science showcase will land in Napier this November, bringing visitors of all ages an out-of-this-world experience.

Already visiting more than 20 cities across the country, Tūhura Otago Museum’s ‘Tūhura Tuarangi, Aotearoa in Space’ science showcase is set to stop at the National Aquarium of New Zealand.

Education manager at the National Aquarium, Amy Stevens, says interactive experiences include launching rockets, building satellites, and creating - and igniting - rocket fuel.

As a finalist for an international science engagement award in Berlin, this Tūhura Otago Museum showcase is packed full of lots of fun and interesting information for space-crazed kids to dive right into.

The showcase explores Aotearoa New Zealand’s deep connections to space, from early Polynesian navigators to the space technologies and research being developed here.

There is a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite that visitors are encouraged to touch and hold as they learn about humankind’s shared whakapapa with the night sky.

Visitors can also touch a piece of space junk that crash-landed on a New Zealand farm or get lost in a black hole simulation. There are lots of exciting things to discover and explore.

“We are always looking at how to engage our visitors, young and old, to the wonders of life on our planet in really engaging ways, and now we are extending that into the universe so they can get a real understanding of some of the things that go on up there,” explains Amy.

She adds, “Aotearoa New Zealand has an important role in space research and development. Building a knowledge of that builds pride. It’s inspiring to know that Kiwis are part of this exciting, innovative and intrepid work.”

Admission to the showcase at the National Aquarium is part of general admission for visitors. There are also education sessions for schools taking place while Tūhura Tuarangi, Aotearoa in Space is in Napier.

For all those interested in blasting off on a space adventure, the showcase will be running at Napier’s National Aquarium from November 6 to December 14.