HUNDREDS of people gathered to marvel at the wonders of the universe and explore the secrets of the night sky this weekend.

After thousands looked up in awe last week at the ‘super blood moon’, queues stretched out of the door for Stargazing Oxford's return to the Denys Wilkinson Building on Keble Road on Saturday.

The organiser of the event – which is organised by the Oxford University physics department – put the popularity down to an ‘exciting’ year in science and leaps for mankind.

Dr Sian Tedaldi said: “It’s the 50 year anniversary of the moon landing.

ALSO READ: Amazing pictures of last week's 'super moon' total lunar eclipse

“We have also just landed something on Mars and Oxford University was part of that.”

At the show, academics and amateur astronomers were on hand to answer some of science’s biggest questions.

Oxford Mail:

Many even zipped up their coats to brave the cold and parade on the walkway to answer questions of those waiting to get inside.

One of them was five-year-old Isaac Smyth Medina, who said: “We are learning about the solar system at school.”

His mum Helen Smyth Medina added: “They are learning about space in Year One and for the project we thought we would come along.”

The event had opportunities to observe the night sky with telescopes, tour the sky in an inflatable planetarium and look at the universe through different lightwaves including UV and infrared.

Oxford Mail:

Kathryn Boast, who works in the outreach department said the event was brilliant.

She added: “ There is loads of variety. Space is so accessible, anyone can go outside and look up at the sky.”