学进去

A recent landing on the moon has awakened or renewed people’s enthusiasm for the stars and space exploration. Here are four trip ideas to inspire those would-be astronauts and astronomers.

Kennedy Space Center, America

The NASA-operated Kennedy Space Center is a must for ambitious astronauts and space-lovers. Hands-on experiences range from live presentations delivered by astronauts to the new Astronaut Training Experience Center. Children aged 10 to 17 can experience spacewalking and exploring Mars.

North York Moors, England

As an International Dark Sky Reserve in the world, this lovely part of Yorkshire, England is host to the UK’s family-friendly National Parks Dark Skies festival. Well timed to the latter part of autumn half term in England, the festival includes bat-box making, evenings with winter birds and moonlit coastal walks.

Pic du Midi, France

There are few observatories where you can observe stars before retiring to a comfortable cabin and watch the sunrise. Getting to the Pic du Midi Observatory is also an adventure by itself, involving a ride on two cable-cars up to a 2,877-meter-high mountain. The guided astronomy sessions help kids discover Saturn (土星) and its rings via powerful telescopes.

Mount Teide, Spain

Home to the largest solar observatory in the world, it sits on Spain’s highest mountain. Ride the cable-car up for a scientist-led tour, which includes the chance to observe the Sun through hand-held solar telescopes. The special family tour includes an attractive 90-minute workshop exploring how observatory physicists carry out their research.