STRAP yourselves in and blast off on a mission to explore the universe in the company of astronomer Mark Thompson.

Your feet will stay firmly on the ground as he takes you on a tour of outer space and one of the subjects he touches upon in his show, Stargazer, is the small matter of life is there anybody out there?

Is there life beyond planet Earth, or do aliens only exist in the fertile imaginations of the sci-fi writers? Without a moment's hesitation, Mark plants himself firmly in the 'yes' camp.

He said: "Life elsewhere in the universe is a fascinating topic and I do touch upon that a little bit in my show. Have we any evidence for life elsewhere? No we don't.

"If I was a betting man would I bet on us finding life elsewhere in the universe? Yes, I would.

"The universe is a big place and it's been around for just under 14 billion years so life has had time to evolve. I think we are probably not alone but whether we will ever be able to communicate or visit, that's a whole different story entirely."

A presenter on the BBC show Stargazing Live, Mark has very fond memories of the first time he saw Saturn through a telescope, aged 10, at his astronomy society.

He added: "It was the most amazing thing - I've seen pictures from the Hubble space telescope but the first view I had of Saturn inspired me to study astronomy."

Stargazer is billed as a family show and the good news for children thinking of taking up astronomy is you don't have to break the bank, or rather the bank of mum and dad, in order to take it up as a hobby.

He said: "One of the key pieces of advice is don't rush out and buy a telescope. Telescopes are one of those things that people presume you need to enjoy the night sky. It helps an awful lot but I think the most important thing is to go along to your astronomy society and they can help you find your feet and choose your first telescope."

- The Waterside Arts Centre in Sale presents Stargazer on Monday at 7.30pm.

The show is suitable for children aged seven and over and tickets are available from 0161 912 5616. Visit watersideartscentre.co.uk for more information.

RICK BOWEN