Touch The Stars

Dr Matthew Allen showcasing some of his tactile astronomy resources

Astronomy is a very visual hobby. Using telescopes, looking at the night sky and meteor spotting often require good eyesight, which can be a problem for the 2 million people in the UK who have some level of sight loss.

At the 2018 Cardiff Science Festival, we ran an event with Sight Life, a Cardiff organisation which supports people with sight loss, to run a hands on astronomy workshop. Using 3D printed objects, the audience were able to feel what the universe looks like. Dr Matthew Allen brought some 3D printed models of Mars, Hubble Sace Telescope and tactile “images” of objects in the night sky

The event, which was held in Cardiff Central Library, saw people both with and without sight loss come together to learn about astronomy together. The festival looks forward to working with this community again at future festivals.