Special Courses and Events
A number of exciting and interesting courses are run in the Planetarium which develop more in-depth knowledge for people interested in further study.
Courses and Events:
- The Night Sky - January 17 2012 (10 week course)
- Stealing the Moon - The Fiddle Chicks - Fringe Performance at the Planetarium Dates - Feb 25, March 2 and March 16
The Night Sky
Join popular lecturer Paul Curnow [B.ED] at the Adelaide Planetarium for this 10-week beginners astronomy course to examine the constellations, the history of astronomy and more under the dome of the Adelaide Planetarium.
-
Learn about the 88-constellations in the sky and how to identify them
-
Learn about the names of the stars within the constellations and the meanings behind them
-
Learn about the different types of stars and their stellar properties
-
Find out how the distances to stars and galaxies are determined
-
Learn about our location in the galaxy and the expanding universe
-
Voyage through our solar system and hear about some of the latest discoveries regarding the planets and some of their moons
-
Take a trip through the history of astronomy and learn about the early pioneers
-
Learn more about buying your first telescope
-
Find out more about some of the more enigmatic objects in the universe like Black Holes
Date: 10 week course every Tuesday starting January 17 2012 ending March 20
Further Information: View brochure
Time: 7:30pm-10pm
Cost: $190
Bookings: Complete a registration form, call 8302 3138 or adelaide.planetarium@unisa.edu.au
Stealing the Moon - Fiddle Chicks Fringe Performance
"If I could steal the moon for
you would you come away with me? Together we could always find our way when
it was dark.."
The Award Winning Fiddle Chicks and the Adelaide Planetarium present
"Stealing The Moon" a magical night of stories in song and melody, of starry
skies, love, dreams and fancy. Lie back under a brilliant canopy of stars
and be carried away by the ethereal blending of violins, voice and the
beautiful night sky. In between sets resident Astronomy Lecturer Martin
Lewicki will be your guide as he takes you through the constellations of our
Australian Southern Summer Sky. Bookings are essential as only limited
seating is available for each session. Intermission tea and coffee are
provided.
Dates: Saturday February
25, Friday March 2 and Friday March 16
Time: 7pm-9pm
Cost: $29 Adults $20 concession
Bookings: All bookings must be made through
Fringetix
Constellations of the Zodiac
The constellations of the zodiac have fascinated people for eons, come and find out why. Join popular Adelaide astronomy lecturers Paul Curnow and Martin Lewicki for an evening at the Adelaide Planetarium where they will take you on a fascinating tour of the constellations of the zodiac. Learn about the origins of the zodiacal constellations and the mythology behind them. Learn about the geometry of the night sky and the science behind the stars and constellations in addition to the names of the stars within these stellar patterns.
Date: Saturday November 12
Time:
7:30pm-9:30pm
Cost: $30
Bookings: 8302 3138 or
complete
a registration
form.
The Discovery Series
Join our resident lecturer, Martin Lewicki, in a series of short courses that will help you discover what lies in our night sky and beyond. An introductory series of courses, no pre-assumed knowledge is required. With his easy and relaxed teaching style Martin's courses have become increasingly popular. This year Martin will present eight weeks of courses you may choose to attend one or two, or perhaps delve into the whole Discovery Series. Each course runs from 7:30pm to 10pm on a Thursday evening as detailed below. Spaces are limited, so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment.
All sessions include 1/2 hour break with tea, coffee and biscuits included. Individual evenings can be booked at $30 each or you can book the entire eight-week Discovery Series at a reduced rate of $200 (equivalent to $25 per evening). **Please note, no further discounts offered.
-
Introduction to Astronomy - Thursday May 5
-
Discover the Planets - Thursday May 12
-
Tour of the Solar System - Thursday May 19
-
Mapping the Sky - Thursday May 26
-
Discover the Stars - Thursday June 2
-
Backyard Astronomy - Thursday June 9
-
The Great Telescopes - Thursday June 16
-
The Universe and Beyond - Thursday June 23
Discovery Series - Introduction to Astronomy
Date: 2012 TBA
Time:
7:30pm-10:00pm
Cost: $30 or $25 if booking the 8-week discovery series.
Discovery Series - Discover the Planets
Content will include:
-
Where to find planets and how they move in the sky.
-
The history of planet discovery
-
What are comet asteroids?
-
The best ways to observe planets.
-
How to use binoculars and/or telescopes to view the planets.
Date: 2012 TBA
Time:
7:30pm-10:00pm
Cost: $30 or $25 if booking the 8-week discovery series.
Discovery Series - Tour of the Solar System
Visit the planets, comets and asteroids in the planetarium as we discover dwarf planets and beyond. View the latest images taken from spacecraft and telescopes. Visit exoplanets beyond the solar system as we speculate on lie beyond earth.
Date: 2012 TBA
Time:
7:30pm-10:00pm
Cost: $30 or $25 if booking the 8-week discovery series.
Discovery Series - Mapping the Sky
Tonight's course will teach students how to use star maps and charts and explain how astronomers find their way around the sky. We will learn how astronomers catalogue celestial objects and identify them. Participants will use example maps and, in the planetarium, practice locating specific objects such as stars, planets and nebulae that you would see in the great outdoors.
Date: 2012 TBA
Time:
7:30pm-10:00pm
Cost: $30 or $25 if booking the 8-week discovery series.
Discovery Series - Discover the Stars
How do we know what we do about the stars? This course will delve into nebulae and star clusters as well as exotic stellar objects as we explore the different types of stars as well as their birth, life and death.
Date: 2012 TBA
Time:
7:30pm-10:00pm
Cost: $30 or $25 if booking the 8-week discovery series.
Discovery Series - Backyard Astronomy
Tonight's course is all about what you can see from your very own backyard. Learn how we can use binoculars to see craters on the Moon, Jupiter's moons, star clusters and nebulae. Learn which are the best type of telescope to use and what they enable you to see. You will also learn how to use your compact digital camera to capture spectacular star scapes.
Weather permitting tonight's course will venture onto the observing deck for viewing and camera imaging.
Date: 2012 TBA
Time:
7:30pm-10:00pm
Cost: $30 or $25 if booking the 8-week discovery series.
Discovery Series - The Great Telescopes
From the beginning we used our eyes to study the stars. Then 400 years ago the telescope dramatically extended our ability to study the universe. Now astronomers scan the skies with giant telescopes on Earth and in orbit. Among these is the biggest optical telescope and radio telescope in the planning! We learn how astronomers use the spectrascope. With this instrument attached to a telescope we would hardly know anything about our universe. We will see how it works in practice.
Date: 2012 TBA
Time:
7:30pm-10:00pm
Cost: $30 or $25 if booking the 8-week discovery series.
The Universe and Beyond
Our universe is extraordinarily big. We live in a solar system within a galaxy, within a galaxy cluster, within an ever-expanding universe? We learn how astronomers apply distance scales and determine the origin and evolution of our universe. Astronomers look back into time into era shortly after the universe came to existence by employing the peculiar characteristics light travelling through expanding space-time. We track Einstein’s theory of relativity, how it applies to cosmology and how space and time and is distorted under extreme speed and powerful gravitational fields as those round black holes, What might be the fate of the universe
Date: 2012 TBA
Time:
7:30pm-10:00pm
Cost: $30 or $25 if booking the 8-week discovery series.
Night Skies of Ancient Egypt
How did the Egyptians understand their world? What realms made up their cosmos? In this talk we will explore their stories about how the world came to be - their cosmogonies and how these reflect their cosmology; how this cosmology was linked to their geography and politics, and how they imagined the cosmos of the afterlife. We will also introduce you to some of the names given to the planets and stars by these early stargazers. Join lecturers Paul Curnow (B.ED) and Michael O'Donoghue (M.ED, B.ED) for a relaxing evening at the Adelaide Planetarium where they will take you on a journey into the minds of the Ancient Egyptians. Learn about their beliefs and their view of the heavens, and how this compares to the modern interpretation used by astronomers today. This session is aimed at the beginning adult and no prior knowledge of the night sky is assumed
Date: 2012 TBA
Time:
7:30pm-9:30pm
Cost: $30
Bookings: BOOKED OUT
Aboriginal Skies
Join popular lecturer Paul Curnow [B.ED] at the Adelaide Planetarium for a journey through the night sky as seen by Aboriginal Australians
- Venture into the stellar realm of knowledge used by Indigenous Australians for over 40,000 years
- Hear about their Dreaming stories that relate to the night sky
- Learn about how constellations like the Southern Cross and Orion were seen by Indigenous Australians.
- Learn about the how each group saw parts of the sky differently.
Date: 2012 TBA
Time:
7:30pm-9:30pm
Cost: $30
Bookings: BOOKED OUT
Cosmic Visions 2
Come and see the artwork of Adelaide's very own cosmic artist Gail Glasper, This 'space art' exhibition is open to the general public and will give you an opportunity to view and purchase an original piece of art done by Gail. See galaxies, nebulas, stars and planets in addition to an opportunity for you to see inside the Adelaide Planetarium and learn more about its activities.
Gail Glasper [B.A., B.ED]. is a practising artist and has had her works exhibited throughout Australia. Her exhibitions locally have included the Adelaide Festival Fringe, Arts End Gallery, Middleback Theatre, Red House Gallery and her most recent exhibition was held at the 2010 Lake Tyrell Star Party, Sea Lake, Victoria. Gail graduated from UniSA with a degree in visual arts in 1993. As an artist, she is interested in the colours and patters found in the natural world. Her artworks have been sold throughout Australia and the United States. In addition to her art expertise, she has a keen interest in astronomy. She has studied astronomy at the Adelaide Planetarium, UniSA, and is a current member of the Astronomical Society of South Australia and the Field Geology Club of South Australia.
Date: October 1, 2011 7:30pm - 10pm
Cost: FREE
no bookings required.