The Herschel Museum of Astronomy purchases planetarium with £18,500 West of England grant

January 2025 Bath UK – The project “Herschel Museum of Astronomy – A New Museum for the 21st Century” has received a £18,500 West of England Small Museums Grant, funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The Herschel Museum of Astronomy - Bath’s historic house museum dedicated to the discoveries and achievements of brother-sister duo William and Caroline Herschel - has purchased a new planetarium with the fund money, with which it intends to enhance STEM learning for Bath’s children.

The grant was awarded to the museum by The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority to pay for the dome and projection system in addition to everything else the museum needs to be able to deliver outreach to schools.

Prior to the grant, the museum team were reliant on an inflatable planetarium generously loaned from the University of Bath. The planetarium was an immediate hit with children in Bath and beyond, and the Learning and Engagement team quickly realised that the museum would be able to reach even more children with a permanent planetarium of its own.

Patrizia Ribul, Director of Museums at Bath Preservation Trust says: “We are thrilled and so grateful for this generous grant which will transform our offering and widen the reach of our Learning and Engagement work considerably. Inclusion is one of our cornerstone values and the planetarium has the power to inspire all ages, from all backgrounds, encouraging children all over the south west to engage with STEM.”

Ellie Giles, Learning and Engagement Officer says: “Over the past two years the inflatable planetarium loaned to us by the University of Bath has been a fantastic resource. We have run shows at local libraries, at science fairs and visited schools as far away as Marlborough and Slough. Thanks to the West of England Small Museums Grant we have now purchased a brand new planetarium and projection system meaning we can extend our programme and reach even more schools. In the coming months we will be creating new planetarium content to show alongside the current Herschel Museum film. This will be developed in consultation with a local school to ensure that it links well with the curriculum and engages children of all ages.”

For more information about Bath Preservation Trust’s learning programmes, visit https://www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/learning-and-archives/learning-engagement/.