Meteorites land at Birstall Primary Academy as part of special science project

These rare samples were provided to the school through a project called "Borrow the Moon" by the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which provides educational packs in a bid to inspire young people in science.

Hundreds of schools, colleges, universities, museums and astronomical societies throughout the UK have enjoyed the meteorite samples and NASA Moon rock discs since the scheme began.

The children were encouraged to reach for the stars and learn more about the universe during a week-long interactive experience of astronomy.

They were given the unique opportunity to touch a piece of a space rock not of this Earth as they handled genuine meteorites.

The pack provided by STFC included a 1.2-billion-year-old piece of Mars rock and 4.3-billion-year-old nickel meteorite.

The lunar samples that we received were collected in the late 1960s and early 70s during some of NASA's first manned space missions to the moon.

Jayde Weir, interim principal at Birstall Primary Academy, said: “When the opportunity was presented to us at Birstall we leapt at the chance to give out students this once in a lifetime opportunity.

“All the children involved thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were fascinated to be able to touch something that was truly out of this world.”