Budding astronomers or anyone interested in the night sky have been invited to potentially witness a meteorite shower at a special Moray stargazing showcase.
Hosted by SIGMA, Moray astronomy club, the free public event will give locals a chance to engage in a new hobby and to appreciate the region’s famous dark skies.
There will be a number of astronomical objects to view, weather permitting, including the Quadrantids meteor shower which will be visible from January 1 until January 6.
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A range of amateur telescopes will also be on display, supplied by members of the SIGMA group, along with a selection of real-life meteorites that can be examined.
Chairman of the astronomy club, Stan Barber, is hoping for a clear sky and to take advantage of the growing space industry in Scotland by getting more young people interested in the sector.
He said: “This is the ninth time we have held this event and usually we get around 100 people attending, with a lot of children showing interest.
“We used to link up with the hugely popular TV show Stargazing Live but that is finished now.
“Scotland has a thriving little space industry and it seems to be really popular in Moray, as the planetarium at Morayvia has proven to be a big hit.”
Mr Barber is also the chief executive of Morayvia Science and Technology Centre and is a retired RAF wing commander.
He used to do astral navigation while in the armed forces and continued that passion by joining SIGMA.
With the UK’s first spaceport being built in Sutherland on the north coast of Scotland, Mr Barber highlighted the importance of stargazing.
He said: “Part of the fun is looking up and away from the world and all its troubles and seeing how small earth is and all the endless time and possibilities.
“Hopefully we can encourage more people of all ages to engage in the science of astronomy and to appreciate Moray’s clear dark skies.”
The night sky above the Cairngorms was named as world’s most northernly dark sky park.
The SIGMA stargazing event takes place tonight from 7pm at Lhanbryde Community Centre.
Entry will be free and attendees have been advised to wrap up warm.
