Black Holes: Stranger Than Fiction

Name: Black Holes: Stranger Than Fiction
Start: 2025-10-25T09:00:00+10:30
End: 2025-10-25T10:30:00+10:30
Location: Adelaide Planetarium

Schedule

Sat Oct 25 2025 at 09:00 am to 10:30 am

UTC+10:30

Location

Adelaide Planetarium | Adelaide, SA

Paul Curnow
Adelaide Planetarium
University of South Australia
Abstract: Black Holes have sometimes been described as ‘stranger than fiction’, and few cosmic wonders capture the human imagination as black holes do. They regularly feature in contemporary science discoveries and popular science fiction. In this full dome talk, I will give a general overview of the cycle of stars; how black holes are formed, and the historical background that led to their discovery. This session will also feature the full dome movie ‘Hot & Energetic Universe’.
Bio: Paul Curnow (B.Ed.) is a world-renowned educator and astronomer, and after 33-years is South Australia’s longest serving planetarium lecturer. In 2002, he served as a southern sky specialist for visiting U.S. and British astronomers who were in Australia for the total solar eclipse. After three decades of research, he is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on Australian Aboriginal night sky knowledge; and in 2004, he worked in conjunction with the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center Planetarium in Ohio, on the creation of a show that features Indigenous Australian stories of the night sky. Moreover, from 2018-2024, he has served as a consultant on Indigenous Astronomy for the Australian Space Agency.
In addition, Paul runs several popular courses for the public that focus on the constellations, planetary astronomy, meteoritics, historical astronomy and ethnoastronomy, which primarily deals with how the night sky is seen by non-western cultures. He appeared as the keynote speaker at the inaugural 2010 Lake Tyrrell Star Party in Sea Lake, Victoria and in 2011 was a special guest speaker at the Carter Observatory in Wellington, New Zealand. Since 2012 Paul has taken the role of Lecturer for the ‘Astronomy & the Universe’ course (EDUC2066); and between 2019-2021 for ‘Science’ (EDUC 2030) for the School of Education at the University of South Australia. He has been a member of the Field Geology Club of South Australia since 1992.
Moreover, from 2021-2024 was an advisor for the Andy Thomas Space Foundation Education Advisory Committee; and in 2023 completed a U.S. lecture tour, where he was a special invited guest speaker at several planetariums, colleges, and universities. Paul appears regularly in the media and has authored over 50 articles on astronomy.
*BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL*
This event is aimed for audiences 16 and above.

REGISTRATION CANCELLATIONS
*Please note tickets are non-refundable*
ENQUIRIES OR FURTHER INFORMATION
Contact Name: Allison Price
Company Name: University of South Australia
Telephone: (08) 8302 3138
Email: [email protected]