Christmas... the final frontier at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum

Exploring what Christmas will be like in space, and seeing what other heavenly bodies you might see in the Christmas Eve sky on 24 December will be on the list of inspirational events at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum this year, when the science museum takes inspiration from astronaut Tim Peake and Saint Nicholas for a month of festive fun.

Each weekend in the run-up to Christmas (5 & 6, 12 & 13 and 19 & 20 December), museum staff will be exploring what the festive season will be like for British astronaut, Tim Peake, who will be taking a rocket up to the International Space Station to start six months in orbit on 15 December. In the galleries, young scientists can explore the effects of space and zero gravity on the human body in a series of live experiments inspired by those carried out on the Space Station.

The weekends will also set the stage for a special event day on Tuesday 15 December, when anyone interested in science can watch Tim Peake’s Soyuz rocket as it blasts off, taking Tim to be the first British astronaut to serve a tour on ISS. The blast off will be shown live on the large screen, with Destination Space activities taking place across Thinktank on the day.

Meanwhile, in the Planetarium, a special show created by the Centre for Life in Newcastle will run, exploring the real astronomy behind one of the most famous star stories of all – the Christmas star. The fascinating show will explore what the star said to have been followed by the three kings might have been, and investigate what other cosmological events might have been happening in the night skies 2000 years ago.

For anyone panicking that they haven’t quite completed their Christmas shopping, Thinktank’s classroom is set to be converted into a technological version of Santa’s workshop, where visitors can build their own small electronic toys for Christmas stockings! The workshop costs just £5, including all materials (pre-booking advised).

The real star in Thinktank’s festive programme will be the chance to enjoy brunch with Santa on Monday 21, Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 December! With a host of delicious treats available to satisfy the appetites of the visitors before they head in to see Father Christmas and make any last-minute gift requests, leaving with a present of their own to take away! Attendees are then welcome to explore Thinktank museum at their leisure – a great way to avoid the Christmas shopping crowds!

Tickets cost £14 per person (£10 for Membership Plus holders) and are available from Thinktank in person, or by calling 0121 348 8263. For more general information please visit www.birminghammuseums.org.uk or Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, Millennium Point, Birmingham, B4 7XG (for Sat Nav use postcode B4 7AP).

Thinktank is open from 10am - 5pm 7 days a week, with last admission at 4pm. Closed 24, 25, 26 December.

ENDS

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

Tel:         0121 285 9899

Email:    jay@pyperyork.co.uk