Upcoming sessions and courses

Looking for something fun and educational to keep the kids entertained during the school holidays? Visit the Planetarium to learn about the solar system, constellations and the universe beyond.

15 October 2026

Since the earliest times humans have learned how to find directions and navigate by sighting celestial bodies in the night sky. These skills enabled us to navigate around the globe for exploration and aid survival. Even some species of animals are now known to find their directions from celestial clues that too, aid in their survival. In this one-night course, we will cover the basics of finding directions using the constellations, the Sun, Moon and planets with simple tools and rules you can recreationally use yourself. You will learn to find your directions whether in rural or cities. In this day of ubiquitous GPS navigation at our fingertips we will learn why modern navies around the world are re-introducing old fashion sextants on board their ships and now even on board the International Space Station to complement their GPS systems.

28 November 2026

The Mayans were a prominent indigenous Mesoamerican civilisation renowned for their advanced writing, mathematics, astronomy, and monumental architecture. Their view of the Cosmos was a rich and interconnected view of the universe that explained how the heavens, Earth, and the underworld were linked. The ancient Maya believed the universe was divided into three main realms: the sky above, the earthly world where people lived, and the underworld known as Xibalba. These realms were connected by the sacred World Tree, which symbolised the connection between gods, humans, and natural world. The movements of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars were seen as important messages from the gods, influencing farming, ceremonies, and daily life. This in-depth understanding of the Cosmos shaped Mayan religion, architecture, calendars, and scientific observations.

The Adelaide Planetarium is open on select Saturdays of the month all year round.

Be taken on an immersive journey through space, with stars and constellations coming alive during our stunning night sky experiences and full-dome movies.

11 January - 15 February 2027

Have you ever wondered about the origins of the constellations in the night sky? Who first named them and where do they come from? Do all cultures see the sky the same way? In this six-week course on ‘ethnoastronomy’, you will learn about the stories and mythologies behind the constellations and how to identify some of them in the night sky.

12 January - 22 March 2027

Ever wondered how astronomers find their way around the night sky? Come and learn how to find the different constellations (patterns) in the sky and learn about the mythology related to them. Learn about the nine planets (including Pluto) in our solar system and some of the moons orbiting them. Discover the history behind astronomy and how early astronomers worked out the distances to stars, the magnitude of stars and more about the deep sky wonders of our galaxy.