中文
HOME
HOME / LATEST NEWS / Content

Lingang Campus: An Immersive Trip to the Shanghai Astronomy Museum

March 30, 2023

The sky is vast, the moon and stars are endless, and the universe is infinite. How does the blue planet nurture life, and how many mysteries are hidden in the distant sky? On March 28th, students from the Lingang Campus visited the largest planetarium in the world, Shanghai Astronomy Museum, to immerse themselves in the observation of the sun, moon, and stars, and to begin a wonderful journey to explore the firmament with curiosity and imagination.

We started our tour with "Knowing Our Homeland". When entering the exhibition area, we were greeted by a huge model of the planets and a variety of objects in the universe, including the dazzling Sun, the beautiful Earth, the bright starry sky, the gray moon soil, and the precious meteorites. In the darkened exhibition hall, the children seemed to be traveling between the planets, marveling from time to time and asking one question after another: Is there water or any lifeforms like humans on other planets? How did meteorites form and how did they fall from the sky? Where will we go if the Earth ceases to exist?

With curiosity and questions in their minds, students stopped to look at the optical planetarium and gazed at the whole wall of text introduction. There was a loud and clear sound coming from the huge museum! It was the four volunteer docents from the second grade sharing their knowledge of astronomy and science with great enthusiasm! A well-prepared arrangement in advance not only allowed teaching and learning to complete a flexible flow, but also allowed these young children's enthusiasm for knowledge to be supported and guided, so that the dream of the starry sea might be lit at that moment.

In the museum, we walked on the moon, traveled among the stars, marveled at the magnificence of the Milky Way, and appreciated the grandeur of the universe. The "Universe Zone" has revealed to us the scientific principles behind the wonderful phenomena. Getting to know the Chang'e Moon Exploration, the Tiangong Laboratory, and the Mars Exploration Program encouraged all children to truly feel the perseverance of the pioneers on their journey toward space.

The exploration of the universe is never-ending. This short but fulfilling journey has inspired the children to step onto the bridge that connects people and the universe, carrying their dreams to the future reality. We hope the students will continue to pursue their passion for knowledge, to explore the great multiplicity of nature's species and the universe's immensity!

Written by Jenny

Pictures by Xu Chun’ai

Edited by Serene Yang, Niall Keenan