CHILDREN got the chance to see moon rocks and meteorites during a family open day at the National Science Learning Centre in York.

Hundreds attended Exploring Space, a free hands-on day of space related activities at the centre at the University of York, which gave early years children a chance to make paper meteors.

Primary-aged children could take on the role of space scientists to find out more about the planet Mars, while secondary children learned how to build a comet, visited a mobile planetarium, and found out all about lunar rocks, asteroids and meteorites.

Andy Newsam, Professor of Astronomy Education and Engagement at Liverpool John Moores University, also gave a talk about the Earth’s place in the universe.