More than 500 Hampshire school students were welcomed to a special science event called Big Bang.

The event at Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium provided the opportunity to get up close with the latest developments in science and technology.

The students were between Key Stages 2-4 and from over 40 primary and secondary schools in the area.

Young visitors to the Big Bang at Winchester Science Centre were able to enjoy a live planetarium show, get hands-on with the over 100 science exhibits, as well as showcase their own science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) projects.

This was the second Big Bang to be hosted at the Science Centre, following a successful first year in May 2016, attended by almost 300 young people.

The event was supported by a number of organisations providing even more hands-on activities, including Southampton University, Ericsson, South Downs National Park and Life Lab.

Emily Thorpe-Smith, Director of STEM Engagement at Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium, said: “Our second year of hosting a Big Bang event at Winchester Science Centre has been a great success. We've welcomed more than 500 school pupils from around the region, and had the support of some fantastic organisations to help us inspire and engage them in STEM subjects.

“Big Bang events are a wonderful opportunity for young people to engage with the local STEM community. They spark curiosity by enabling students to take on hands-on challenges. We hope that this leads to their taking further education in STEM subjects and eventually going on to STEM-related careers.”

The Big Bang Fair South East 2017 will take place at the South of England Showground, Ardingly, West Sussex, on June 28.

Part of the nationwide Big Bang Near Me programme, it is the biggest single celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people in the UK, and around 9,000 students and their teachers from across the region are expected to attend.

Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium is Southern England's leading hands-on, interactive, science and technology centre with the largest standalone planetarium in the UK.