Did you know that only 4 per cent of the universe is made of matter that we know
Did you know that tons of meteorite dust falls to Earth every day?
Did you know that NASA’s ‘Curiosity Rover’, a mobile science lab, is almost half way to Mars?
If you didn’t, you should know that Dr Tanya Hill can tell you all about this and much more at the Discover the Night Sky lecture series running every Thursday night in March at the Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks.
Dr Tanya Hill, Curator of Astronomy, guides her audience on a discovery of the Universe using the immersive technology of the planetarium's dome.
The lecture series covers many aspects of the night sky and the galaxy we live in with Dr Hill as a personal tour guide, available to answer all your astronomy and space questions and entertain along the way.
"We don't know what makes up 96 per cent of the Universe, but that's where the fun begins," said Dr Tanya Hill, Curator of Astronomy.
"We live on a tiny speck in space and yet we have looked up and discovered so much about our Universe. That's an amazing thing to do."
The Discover the Night Sky lecture series combines information with a unique and interesting night out, complete with a glass of wine and cheese. The evening will finish with stargazing through telescopes (weather permitting).
Thursday March 1 – Backyard Astronomy: It’s not just stars you can see in the night sky - planets, comets, shooting stars and satellites are all there if you know when and where to look. Navigate by the stars and discover how you can become a backyard astronomer.
Thursday March 8 – Tour the Universe: We invite you on a tour of the Universe that will take you to the far reaches of space. You know the Universe is big, really big, but nothing can compare with the experience of seeing it for yourself.
Thursday March 15 – Our Solar System: Journey through the Earth's local neighbourhood – our Solar System. It is a system of planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids and comets, bound by the pull of the Sun. Marvel at the beauty of each unique world and the stories they tell.
Thursday March 22 – The Milky Way Galaxy: We are just one planet, orbiting one star, among the 400 billion stars of our Milky Way Galaxy. It is truly magnificent; a swirling mass of stars, gas and dust. But what do we know of our home galaxy? And how did we come to discover it?
Thursday March 29 – Dark Energy: Only a tiny fraction, just 4 per cent of the Universe is made of the stuff we know – the atoms that make us and everything around us. The rest we call dark matter and dark energy. What are these two enigmas and why must they exist?
Discover the Nights Sky
Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks, 2 Booker St, Spotswood
Session times: Commence 7.30pm.
Cost: $28 per person, MV members $23, Season pass $120.
Bookings essential: Call 03 9392 4819 Monday to Friday 9.00am – 4.30pm
For more information visit http://museumvictoria.com.au/planetarium/