An ADF families event: National Families Week at the Adelaide Planetarium

NOTE: This event is only for current serving Australian Defence Force Members (ADF) and resident family.

South Australian ADF current serving members and their resident family are invited to join the Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) SA team and Veterans SA team on a unique interactive journey through space to explore the universe, galaxy and solar system at the Adelaide Planetarium. We offer this event in May as part of National Families Week to honour the service and sacrifices of our Defence families by fostering a culture of recognition and respect—acknowledging your contributions, valuing your experiences, and ensuring you feel seen, supported, and appreciated.

DMFS will be hosting 5 x 1 hour sessions for this event with strictly limited seats of 45 per session due to the capacity of the planetarium. Each session will be guided by an Astronomer and feature a full dome movie. Please note different dome movies will be shown at different sessions and are suitable for different ages. Register to the most appropriate session for your family. Veterans SA will be offering light refreshments for families to enjoy in the adjoining tutorial room after their session.

BEFORE YOU REGISTER – PLANETARIUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Please note the Planetarium is not suitable for children under 4 years old. If you do bring younger children, the Planetarium request that those who become restless and noisy please exit the Planetarium with their guardian as a courtesy to other patrons.
• Prams are not permitted inside the Planetarium and there are no baby change room facilities on site.
• The Planetarium has a maximum seating capacity of 45 people.
• Use of mobile phones, electronic devices and photography are prohibited inside the Planetarium and should be turned off. No torches or other lights are allowed.
• Be aware that the lights will be turned down and it will be dark for most of the session.
• When inside the planetarium please respect the equipment and chairs.
• As the planetarium is located within the Adelaide University STEM Unit there are often classes and tutorials in progress in adjacent rooms. Please keep the noise level to a minimum as you move around the building and while entering the planetarium.

PLEASE REGISTER FOR 1 SESSION ONLY:

Session 1 0900–1000 movie suitable for ages 5+ years

Session 2 1015 – 1115 movie suitable for ages 8+ years

Session 3 1130 – 1230 movie suitable for ages 8+ years

Session 4 1330 – 1430 movie suitable for ages 10+ years

Session 5 1445 – 1545 movie suitable for ages 13 years +

Full Dome Movies per session:

Session 1 9am – 10am The great solar system adventure (5+ years)

Join showman extraordinaire "The Great Schiaparelli" as he takes the audience on a death-defying space-time adventure within his wondrous Observatorium. From the sun-scorched surface of Mercury to the icy expanses of Pluto and beyond, prepare to be subjected to the myriad dangers and wonders of our Solar System, on a breathtaking tour that reveals just how precious our home planet really is. Be warned though, the Observatorium isn’t just for show. It will transport the audience right to the heart of some of the deadliest locations in our slice of the heavens. It’s going to take some fancy flying to get everyone back in one piece!

Session 2 10:15am – 11:15am Starlight (8+ years)

For thousands of years we have looked to the stars at night in wonder and awe. Their mysteries have inspired curiosity across all cultures and civilisations. Narrated by multi-award-winning Australian actress Sigrid Thornton, Starlight is told through the eyes of Margaret, as she steps back in time to relive childhood fears of the dark that awoke her curiosity about the night sky. Join Margaret as she takes you on an out-of-this-world journey to discover constellations and ancient cultures, the birth and death of a star and the inner workings of our Sun. Starlight features stunning fulldome visualisations of being inside a supernova explosion and drifting through a stellar nursery, a rich gaseous nebula that is collapsing into stars.

Session 3 11:30am – 12:30pm Black holes – Journey into the unknown (8+ years)

Imagine a place where time stands still and the known laws of physics don't apply. A place where reality as we know it breaks down. Welcome to the world of black holes. Narrated by Geoffrey Rush, this planetarium show brings to life all that is fascinating and extreme about black holes. What makes a black hole? How do we find them? Would you survive falling into one? No longer the stuff of science fiction, the discovery of black holes is a triumph of modern science. Follow their story from an extraordinary idea of the late 18th century to their unexpected detection almost 200 years later.

Session 4 1:30pm – 2:30pm The sun, our living star (10+ years)

The Sun has shone on our world for four and half billion years. The light warms our skin today has been felt by every person who has ever lived. It is our nearest star and our planet’s powerhouse, the source of the energy that drives our winds, our weather and all life. The passage of the Sun’s fiery disc across the sky – day by day, month by month – was the only way to keep track of time for countless past civilisations. Don’t be fooled by the terminology; although it is a typical dwarf star, the Sun consumes 600 million tons of hydrogen each second and is 500 times as massive as all the planets combined. Discover the secrets of our star in this Planetarium show and experience never-before-seen images of the Sun’s violent surface in immersive full dome format.

Session 5 2:30pm – 3:30pm Capturing the cosmos (13+ years)

Australian Astronomers today are exploring the universe on a grand scale. But knowing what’s out there is just the first step. Putting the pieces together to unlock the mysteries of the universe is the ultimate goal. Discover the new astronomy being carried out under the breathtaking skies of the Australian outback. What will be learnt about our place amongst the stars?

All attendees will need to register for a ticket with a maximum of 4 tickets available per recognised Defence member/family.

All attendees are welcome to join the DMFS SA team and Veterans SA for a hot beverage, light refreshments and a chat in an adjacent tutorial room after your planetarium session. The tutorial room will be available for our use from 8:30am – 4:30pm. At your allocated session time you will enter the planetarium for your 1-hour night sky presentation by an astronomer and a full dome movie.

We anticipate this event will be very popular, to secure your tickets please register as soon as possible. Registrations close once allocation is exhausted and event is sold out or by 1 May, whichever occurs first.

Given the strictly limited tickets available for this event we ask if you have registered for tickets and cannot attend that you contact the DMFS SA team as soon as possible on 8305 6231 or via email [email protected], this will allow us to monitor and allocate tickets to those on the waitlist. We thank you for your cooperation to assist us with ensuring as many families as possible are able to access this experience.

This event is only for ADF current serving members and their resident family. When you arrive at the event you will be asked to provide Defence identification along with a copy of your Eventbrite tickets (either electronic or paper). If you do not have a current Defence identification, please contact us at [email protected] or call 08 8305 6231.

Registration:

Every person attending requires a ticket. Registration is permitted for 1 session ONLY.

Parking:

Parking is free on weekends and can be accessed off University Boulevard & Materials Lane. Attendees must follow all road/parking signage and park at their own risk.

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Arrival:

All attendees are to arrive 15 minutes before their session time to meet the DMFS SA team in the reception/foyer area to be checked in for your session. Please be sure to check and arrive for your allocated session time, this is essential due to the limited seating for each session.

We ask that use the facilities if required and be ready in the foyer area on level 2 for your session at your allocated start time. There is a lift located in the building for access up to level 2.

When inside the planetarium please respect the equipment and chairs and follow direction of all planetarium staff. No food or drink to be consumed in the Planetarium.

Post session families are welcome to join both the DMFS SA and Veterans SA teams for a hot drink, some light refreshments and some table top/yard games. We will be in the tutorial room on level 2 next to the Planetarium.

Additional Information:

You should carefully read the following information to ensure you are aware of all requirements relating to this event. This information is regularly updated and may not be the same as information on previous DMFS events you may have registered for.

• When registering for the event, you must register for a ticket for yourself and each person attending.
• Ensure that the email address you register with is accurate as you will receive your booking confirmation, and any additional information or changes to the event, by email.
• If you or someone in your family are feeling unwell with flu-like symptoms on the day of the event, please stay at home. If you attend the event with flu-like symptoms, staff will advise you to return home and to seek medical advice.
• A photographer will be in attendance at this event. If you don’t want to be photographed, or have your family photographed, please let the photographer know. Please note: any photos taken may be used in DMFS publications, online or on social media.
• If you become unable to attend the event, please cancel your booking by clicking on the link in your confirmation email ‘View and manage your order online’. This takes you to your ‘Tickets’ page where you can choose the ‘Cancel my Order’ option to release the tickets back to the event listing.
• The waitlist will show automatically on the registration page once the event is fully booked. If you’d like to register on the waitlist, complete the ‘Contact Information’ form for every individual person who requires a ticket. For example, if three family members require a ticket you should complete the ‘Contact Information’ form three times.
• If you have any questions about this event please email us at [email protected]

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