A group of Moray schoolchildren embarked on an awe-inspiring journey through the solar system – without even having to leave the ground.
Youngsters from Elgin’s West End Primary School were among the first ever visitors to sample a new and improved planetarium at the Morayvia science and technology centre in Kinloss.
The £25,000 dome had already proven a star attraction at the base during its first visitor season between October and December last year.
But over the closed period, it has undergone a revamp which volunteers say make it a more deeply immersive experience.
Morayvia chief executive Stan Barber worried that the simulated trip through space could have proved unnerving for some of the younger visitors.
But the excited West End pupils, who were visiting as part of a national science week initiative, were transfixed by the spectacular images before them.
Mr Barber said: “There were 40 children and they were just bowled over, they saw it as a big adventure.
“They sat there ‘oohing’ at the solar system, and weren’t overawed by it at all.
“The pupils asked lots of interesting questions, and even the youngest kids knew a surprising amount about space.”
Mr Barber explained that while scenes were previously projected only onto the planetarium’s domed roof, recent revamps mean that visitors are enveloped by panoramic images of space.
He added: “These films are displayed around the walls of the structure, whereas before we concentrated just on beaming the night sky onto its ceiling.”
The Morayvia centre officially opened last October, with a reclaimed Sea King helicopter and Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft among its most popular draws.
Earlier this month, darts superstar Gary Anderson visited the base to take part in a tour of its exhibits and to autograph merchandise to be auctioned for charity.
Volunteers have spent the past few weeks preparing an extended range of displays to be unveiled to the public at the end of this month.
An interactive display of engines is being arranged, featuring equipment used in Rolls Royce cars and even rocket missiles.
The centre will reopen for its second visitor season on Friday, March 25.
