After having to postpone our first plans because of rain and cloud, the Astronomy group (18 students from years 9, 10 and 12), met after school on Friday evening and travelled by minibus to Iping Common near Midhurst in Sussex. A slow journey through rush-hour traffic left all of us (teachers included) wondering whether the distance was a bit much. But once we'd parked the minibuses and the headlights were turned off, we were plunged into complete darkness and the sounds of "oooh" and "ahh" could be heard as we looked up at the amazing night sky. The long journey had definitely been worth it!

The temperature dropped to about -1 degrees and the sky was absolutely clear. Iping Common is a designated Dark Sky area meaning there is very little light pollution. All of which meant we could see so many stars we hardly knew where to start!

Students had come prepared with chairs and blankets (and snacks!) so they could sit or lie down to observe the stars. We spotted constellations (some claimed even to have seen a shooting star). The Plough, Cygnus, Cassiopeia, Orion (and his belt) and a planet (Saturn) to name just a few.

But before we knew it, it was time to pack up our belongings and head back to Cheam.

We learned a lot from our first trip - what to bring, how to set up a telescope, that gloves and hats are a very good idea and that walking in the darkness with torches is a lot of fun!

We are already planning our next trip, hopefully to coincide with a full moon (and good weather) so we can really test out the telescopes and binoculars.