The Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks presents special after-dark sessions on Thursday evenings throughout March. The Discover the Night Sky program is a unique experience allowing visitors to learn about the mysteries of the night sky. 

Visitors will have the opportunity to a chat with the Planetarium’s Astronomer, enjoy wine and cheese, and be immersed in a Planetarium experience. If weather permits, each session will conclude with stargazing through telescopes.

Each Discover the Night Sky evening will showcase a different aspect of the night sky.

Thursday 5 March:  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 12 March:  Travel the Universe
We invite you on a tour of the Universe that will take you from Spotswood to the far reaches of space. You know the Universe is big, really big, but nothing can compare with experiencing it for yourself.

Thursday 19 March: Leaving Earth
It’s been 50 years since the first satellite was launched into space. Now one satellite – the International Space Station – is a permanent home. See what it’s like to live in space; why do we go there and where are we heading next?

Thursday 26 March:  Milky Way Galaxy
We live on one planet, orbiting one star, among the 400 billion-odd stars of our Milky Way Galaxy. It is a truly magnificent spectacle, 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?

Discover the Night Sky is part of a program run by Melbourne Planetarium to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy. “This year marks 400 years since Galileo Galilei first turned a telescope to the sky”, said Dr Tanya Hill, Melbourne Planetarium Astronomer. “Discover the Night Sky encourages the everyday ‘backyard’ astronomer to be swept away by the beauty of the stars. Each week we delve into a different fascinating topic and reveal a little more about the mysteries of the Universe and beyond.”
Discover the Night Sky
Date: 5, 12, 19 and 26 March 2009
Time: 7pm to 9.30pm
Where: Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks, 2 Booker Street, Spotswood. Melway 56, B1
Cost per session: $25 Adults, $20 MV Members, Season Pass (all 4 sessions): $85
Bookings essential: Phone 03 9392 4819 (Monday to Friday 8.30am – 4.00pm)