Out of This World Astronomy Trail Set to Launch in Bury St Edmunds Town centre

A brand new astronomy trail called ‘Out of This World’ launches in Bury St Edmunds town centre on Saturday March 28 just in time for family fun during the Easter School Holidays.

The trail will run for nine weeks as residents and visitors are challenged to find space themed items across BID member businesses.

Brought to you by Our Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District (BID) and supported by the Bury St Edmunds Astronomy Association, the FREE entry trail coincides with the Artemis II Moon Rocket Mission, scheduled to launch in spring, which will be the first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years.

Participants will have a chance to win a variety of prizes including a year membership of The Apex courtesy of West Suffolk Council, Bury St Edmunds gift cards and space memorabilia.

Trail leaflets will be available to pick up at the St Edmundsbury Cathedral tourist information point, Moyse’s Hall Museum, The Apex, Bury St Edmunds Library and the participating businesses who will also display a poster. You can also download the trail leaflet from the Our Bury St Edmunds BID website.

To complete the trail and enter the competition participants need to pick up, or download, a trail leaflet and fill it in with the ten space related items they find in business windows or inside the premises in the town centre. The items include space stories books, astronaut figurines, newspaper front pages of the 1969 moon landing and images taken by members of the astronomy association.

Mike Kirkham, Business Support Manager for Our Bury St Edmunds BID and Chair of the Bury St Edmunds Astronomy Association, said: “I hope that this out of this world astronomy trail to coincide with the Artemis II launch will encourage people to visit our town centre businesses, and more people to learn about astronomy and discover the town centre.”

The trail leaflet features exciting astronomy facts and figures including about astronaut Tim Peake who visits The Apex in Bury St Edmunds on October 12 and 13 as part of his Astronauts: The Quest to Explore Space Tour.

Bury St Edmunds Astronomy Association will be at the Our Bury St Edmunds BID Bury St Edmunds Spring Fayre on 24 & 25 May for anyone interested in learning more about astronomy.

The Out of This World Astronomy Trail runs from Saturday 28 March to Sunday 31 May in Bury St Edmunds Town Centre. For more information and to download a trail leaflet visit https://www.ourburystedmunds.com/bury-st-edmunds-out-of-this-world-astronomy-trail/