MOON rocks came to land at John Bentley School last week giving pupils the chance to study something that was once literally out of this world.

The lunar dust and meteorites have been displayed at the Calne school since Monday but they are so valuable that only today, when the samples are on their way home, were we permitted to tell the story.

Kept in a safe in a locked room on the school grounds, the specimens were attended constantly by a teacher but were brought out under supervision for the pupils to examine.

Head of science, David Harries, said: "The lunar samples are irreplaceable so we had to have stringent security measures in place including the media embargo.

"Nevertheless eight classes got to see them each day and throughout the week most of the school got a chance have a look.

"They were collected during NASA's manned space missions to the moon in the late 1960s and early 1970s when the Apollo astronauts brought back a substantial amount of lunar material to earth.

"The reaction of the pupils has been fantastic. They've been studying the samples and looking at the obvious differences in the materials they are made from.

"We have also been asking what the point of the mission to the moon actually was, where they landed and why, and what the benefits of space exploration are."

The meteorites have also inspired further topics of study at the school including the lunar cycle and the effect of the moon on the sea tides.

Mr Harries said: "It is great that the meteorites have had so much influence on the curriculum. They have really got the pupils thinking about what exists beyond our world."

Meteorites of different kinds formed part of the display and pupils were able to handle them.

The lunar samples were provided by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, which obtained them from NASA following the Apollo space mission.

Scientists kept most of the material but NASA decided to use a small proportion of the rock and soil to develop lunar and planetary sciences educational packages.

Science and Technology Facilities Council chief executive, Professor Keith Mason said "It's incredible to think, that when you hold a meteorite, you are handling something that may have travelled millions of miles to fall on our planet."

12:00pm Saturday 21st April 2007

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