Discover the Night Sky

Astronomy classes

Enjoy a special evening under the stars at the Melbourne Planetarium with expert astronomers.

Take your seat at the centre of the Universe for illuminating astronomy classes presented live in the dome. Each session explores a different feature of Melbourne's night sky and the incredible wonders of the cosmos.

Ponder some of the most fundamental questions of our existence and the Universe in the immersive environment of the Planetarium.

Following the class, take the opportunity to meet our expert astronomers as well as mingle with others. Continue the conversation while enjoying a complimentary glass of wine with cheese.

If weather permits, the evening ends with stargazing through telescopes on the Scienceworks arena.

Please note this after-hours event is for adults only.
 

Sessions

3 & 10 May | Exoplanets and Life Elsewhere

7pm–10pm | with Professor Jonti Horner

Join astrobiologist Professor Jonti Horner to hear about the exciting search for exoplanets (planets orbiting other stars) and life elsewhere in the universe.

In 2017, several exoplanets were discovered in the TRAPPIST -1 system, making headline news around the globe. It has been suggested that some of those planets may be in the ‘habitable zone’, leading to the possibility of life. Delve into how exoplanets are discovered, what makes them important, and the history of life elsewhere. Find out what factors come together to make a given planet more (or less) suitable for life. And learn why the TRAPPIST-1 planets might not be the best place to look for life beyond the Earth!

Professor Jonti Horner is the Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland, where he is a key member of the MINERVA-Australis project team. MINERVA-Australis will be a dedicated exoplanet survey tool, looking for Earth-like planets around the nearest, brightest stars.

7pm

Doors open

7.30pm

Exoplanets and Life Elsewhere presentation by Professor Jonti Horner

8.30pm

Guests exit planetarium and mingle with speaker
Wine and cheese served
Telescope viewing on the Arena (weather permitting)

10pm

Event ends

17 & 31 May | Indigenous Astronomy

7pm–10pm | with Uncle Larry Walsh and Dr Duane Hamacher

Indigenous Australians are some of the earliest astronomers and have been sharing stories written in the stars for many thousands of years. Join Indigenous elder Uncle Larry Walsh and Dr Duane Hamacher to explore ancient knowledge of our night skies.

Uncle Larry Walsh is a local Aboriginal cultural leader and storyteller. Inspired by his local Aboriginal community, plus his own Kulin ancestral blood connections to his country, Uncle is one of the only senior Elders in Melbourne who focuses specifically on storytelling, ensuring the cultural continuity of his ancient oral traditions. He wishes to display that Aboriginal people live as much in the modern world as intimately as they are connected to their past.

Dr Duane Hamacher is an astronomer and Senior Research Fellow at the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre in Melbourne and an Adjunct Fellow in the Astrophysics Group at the University of Southern Queensland. His research focuses on Indigenous astronomical and geological knowledge and traditions in Australia, Oceania, and Southeast Asia.

7pm

Doors open

7.30pm

Session 1 in the planetarium: stories by Uncle Larry Walsh

8pm

Break (30 minutes)
Wine and cheese served

8.30pm

Session 2 in the planetarium: presentation by Dr Duane Hamacher

9pm

Guests exit planetarium and mingle with speakers
Drink service continues
Telescope viewing on the Arena (weather permitting)

10pm

Event ends