Young school scientists have stars in their eyes | Oamaru News | Local News in Oamaru

Oamaru North School pupils were treated to a special visit to the North Otago Astronomical Society Observatory in Oamaru on Tuesday night.

Year 2 and 3 teacher Barbara Roundhill said it was a great opportunity for the kids to actually see the universe they have been studying, up close through powerful telescopes.

"We weren't sure if we would get a clear night, but we did and the kids just loved it."

The Oamaru Mail took the time to talk to the pupils to see what they had learned from the visit and their introduction to the subject of astronomy this term.

"There are almost 2000 stars in the sky," one young stargazer told the paper.

"We even saw a shooting star and I made a wish," another commented.

They learned how the telescopes work and about some of the different constellations visible in the southern night sky.

"I learned that some of the stars make the shape of a scorpion and that Venus is the brightest," yet another added.

The trip to the observatory was made all the more special by the fact that its administrators opened it specially so that the curious young scholars could experience some stargazing.