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Year 11 Physics: The Universe
Learn how scientists study the universe.
This Planetarium excursion is specifically designed for VCE physics students. It combines the Capturing the Cosmos planetarium film with Ticket to the Universe, a live presented planetarium show. It is designed to give students a holistic look at how scientists investigate and explore the universe.
Students will experience
Capturing the Cosmos, a Planetarium film that looks at how we learn about the universe through astronomy research and technology.
A showcase of research carried out by astronomers across Australia, and some of the incredible innovative telescopes that have enabled new discoveries.
A live tour of the night sky, calibrated to Melbourne at the time of year of the visit, highlighting features such as stars, planets and other galaxies visible from Earth.
A live, presenter-led journey from Earth to the depths of the Universe, looking at planets, stars, galaxies and quasars along the way.
Students will learn
How telescopes allow us to examine light in order to learn about our universe including stars and quasars, by using different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
About Australian all-sky astrophysics, including the SkyMapper telescope in New South Wales and the Murchison Wide-field Array (MWA) in Western Australia.
That Earth is surrounded by hundreds of satellites that help us in our daily lives, such as the GPS satellites.
That the Earth is part of a solar system containing planets, asteroids, dwarf planets and the Oort Cloud, and is situated in the Milky Way galaxy.
About some of the surveys of distant galaxies that have allowed us to understand the structure of the universe.
How the Murchison Wide-field Array allows us to study origins of matter through the cosmic microwave background radiation.
This program is generously supported by Museums Victoria Learning Partner Swinburne University of Technology.
Availability
Terms 1–4, Monday to Friday
3:30pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Student information
VCE
Minimum 15 students
Maximum 140 students
Bookings
Planetarium
Screening with presenter led tour of the night sky
Victorian Curriculum Links
VCE Physics
Unit 1: How is energy useful to society?
- Area of study 1: how are light and heat explained
Unit 2: How does physics help us to understand the world?
- Area of Study 2: How does physics inform contemporary issues and applications in society?
Unit 4: How have creative ideas and investigation revolutionised thinking in physics?
- Area of study 1: How has understanding about the physical world changed?
Accessibility
Please view our accessibility page for general information. A sensory map of Melbourne Museum can be found on our Visual Stories page where step-by-step visual and written access guides are available. Contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at [email protected] to discuss how we can support your visit.
Museums Victoria Learning Access Fund
The Museums Victoria Learning Access Fund aims to enhance access to our museums (Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and Immigration Museum), programs and events by offering free or subsidised education programs for eligible schools. Find out more about the fund.
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