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Half-term fun and forecasts of raining diamonds

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Children experimenting with colour in Life Science Centre.
Life's iconic logo is featured at the entrance to the science centre.
Life communications
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Families can enjoy fireballs, an explosion of colour and interplanetary weather forecasts this February half-term at Newcastle’s Life.

The award-winning centre has just reopened its doors after a month-long closure which has seen a number of additions including a revamped Play Zone for under 7s, new exhibits and a new show on Life’s large digital ‘Sphere’, featuring TV weatherman Ross Hutchinson giving an extreme planetary forecast, including how it’s raining diamonds on Saturn!

ITV News' Ross Hutchinson presenting an interplanetary weather forecast on Life Science Centre's Sphere.

Just for half-term, special guests Wonderstruck present an exciting rocket show with big bangs and fire balls.


Visitors can also explore the wonders of colour. Activities include the chance to make and take home a colour catcher lantern, create flowers and watch them bloom in water, in the Experiment Zone, as well as a new live show which uncovers whether what we see is a ‘pigment’ of our imagination. Other visitor favourites include live experiments, a tour of the night skies in the planetarium (a huge domed theatre) and hands-on exhibits in the Wow Zone.


In the revamped Play Zone, younger visitors can fire up their curiosity in the outdoor marketplace, ignite their thirst for discovery with nautical adventures in the coast mural area complete with a boat and capture the moment with the Angel of the North selfie station.


In addition, the new Growing our Future exhibits in the Science Now! Hub, showcase how local scientists and researchers are taking inspiration from nature, including breathable walls that can open and close like pinecones and walls that can be built out of fungi to one day replace concrete.


Life, which has been independently rated best in England for visitor experience, has also recently been voted by the public as being the favourite regional rainy day indoor attraction in a ChronicleLive poll.

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