YOUNG students at Tavistock College turned into inter-galactic explorers recently, spending a night at the college gazing at the stars.

The 25 Year 7 students, who had previously spent a day studying the basics of GCSE astronomy with Clive Purchase, and the night with Clive and teachers Helen Harris, James O'Connell and Sally Hubbard, learning how to use powerful telescopes to see the stars and planets.

The frosty night led to superb images being seen of Jupiter and its four main moons. Students also saw Orion's nebula and the surface of the moon through the telescopes and many stars could be identified by the naked eye.