Storytelling

The dates of National Astronomy Week coincide with those of National Storytelling Week. So we thought we’d team up! Many traditional stories tell tales of the stars and Moon, and the night sky is full of constellations with their own stories.

For National Astonomy Week 2025, we are delighted to present a new telling of the traditional story The Sages of Chelm, by the fantastic professional storyteller Alastair Daniel of the Society for Storytelling. The story relates to the changing phases of the Moon, and so is perfect for our theme of Chasing the Moon.

Download and try this simple family activity to find out why we see the phases of the Moon as we do. There is also a literacy/astronomy activity pack for schools and other groups, created especially to accompany the story.

We are keen to encourage event organisers to include oral storytelling in their activities, to tie in with this happy conjunction of events. We will be sharing a list of storytellers from across the UK who are interested in collaborating with astronomers – watch out for announcements through astronomy and science communication networks.