VISITORS to Lacock on Wednesday will be able to pick up meteorites, talk to experts about distant planets and stargaze during a BBC television event.

The village will host a Stargazing Live Discovery Night, where people can enjoy activities including telescope sessions, robotics, moon rock and meteor displays and rocket launching.

Members of North Wessex Astronomy Groups and Societies will host stargazing from the playing fields.

The event coincides with a new series of BBC Two’s Stargazing Live presented by Professor Brian Cox and Dara O’Briain. It will air on January 16, 17 and 18.

Producer Trish Campbell, of BBC Learning, said: “We’ll be calling on a starry collection of Wiltshire’s finest astronomical minds to explore the majestic wonders of the skies above Lacock.”

The event is open to the public from 4.30pm to 9.30pm and visitors are being advised to bring a torch.

The Tithe Barn will be transformed into a mobile planetarium and activities will take place in the village hall, church, and other village locations.

There will be question sessions with experts and a series of talks by guests from 5pm, on subjects such as discovering planets, astro photography and Fox Talbot, as well as a talk, called Really, Really Big Questions about Space and Time, from Mark Brake and Jon Chase of CBBC’s Space Hoppers show.

Limited free parking is available in the National Trust car park. An overflow car park and free shuttle service will operate from the Whitehall Garden Centre, Corsham Road, every 15 minutes, from 5pm to 9.50pm.