IN THE first event of its kind, society members from three local astronomical societies gathered for an astronomy exhibition.

The Heads of the Valleys Astronomical Society (HOVAS), along with Usk AS and Abergavenny AS, presented ‘Exploring the Universe’ at the Tabor Centre, Brynmawr, on Saturday.

The interactive exhibition featured the chance to see constellations inside a mobile planetarium, a three-dimensional film, plus a talk from astronomer Martin Griffiths.

Wayne Jones, astronomy teacher and chairman of HOVAS, said: “Today is all about promoting astronomy, and an open day like this is an ideal way to bring space into the community.

“We are hoping to do more of these exhibitions in the future.”

With an array of telescopes, binoculars, books, charts, and hand-crafted models of spacecraft, the exhibition drew a steady stream of people enjoying the chance to meet members of local societies and learn about the stars and how to develop their interest in the night sky.

Abergavenny AS is always on the lookout for new members, with monthly meetings and an array of guest speakers covering many topics.

Chairman of Usk Astronomical Society Dave Thomas said: “We’ve toured schools with the portable planetarium in order to encourage and enlighten children about the heavens.”

South Wales Argus:

Part of the exhibition (Picture: Jonathan Powell)

Nick Hart, an astro-imager from St Julians, added: “Despite the light pollution in Newport, you can still achieve outstanding images of the night sky.

“You can achieve great results with just a decent DSLR camera and a tripod, photographing simple star trails.”

(Photos and text by Jonathan Powell)

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