How could you build a refracting telescope using water as the lenses?
Hands-on Activities
Build your own refracting telescope using glasses of water as the lenses.
Reflection and Refraction
Backgrounders
Learn about reflection and refraction and meet Emily Altiere, a PhD student in physics who studies lasers.
Optical Telescopes
Backgrounders
Learn about the history of telescopes and the function of refracting and reflecting optical telescopes.
The Optics of Telescopes
Backgrounders
Learn about telescopes, how they work & why they're important to astronomers.
Why do we need two eyes to see?
Hands-on Activities
Ever wondered why we have two eyes (and not one, three or more)? Find how your two eyes work together in this hands-on activity.
Why is everything so small down there?
Hands-on Activities
Explore how we see things far and near and from different angles. It's all about perspective!
What is white light?
Hands-on Activities
Find out what happens if you spin the colours of the rainbow in this hands-on activity.
What's in a Rainbow?
STEM Explained
Rainbows are beautiful examples of optics in nature. We see them thanks to the reflection and refraction of visible light and water.
Reflectors
Picture Collections
7 images of some objects that can reflect light such as mirrors, Mylar balloons and water
Is a green apple always green?
Hands-on Activities
What does light have to do with colour? Observe some colourful fruit under different conditions to learn why we see the colours we see!
How can you see underwater?
Hands-on Activities
Explore how we see things through water.
How Do We See Colour?
STEM Explained
How does the human eye see visible light as colour? And why do some people see more colours than others?