Teaching astronomy or just star gazing can be difficult during the day but thankfully Scitech has a mobile night sky, the Spacedome. The Spacedome travels all over Western Australian with the Science Roadshow.

The Spacedome is a small transportable planetarium, consisting of an inflatable dome, a star projector and other assorted pieces of multi media equipment which allow the presenter to take you on a unique sight and sound experience exploring the night sky. The dome is like a large tent but instead of using poles it is held up entirely by air – providing an interesting science experience in itself. While the entrance tunnel may make the dome look like an igloo, it helps provide a way for the audiences’ eyes to get adjusted to the dark. Wheelchair access is also provided, to make sure everyone can enjoy the experience.

The Spacedome experience includes the opportunity to view the stars and constellations of the southern hemisphere and ask those astronomical questions you’ve always wanted to – without having to stay-up all night! In addition to the night-sky viewing, there are a large range of pre-recorded programs which take the audience to the moon, the planets of our solar system or to the entire universe (depending on the audience age).

 All Spacedome presentations link to the Western Australian Curriculum Framework; including outcomes from Earth & Beyond, Life and Living and Working Scientifically. To extend the experience beyond the dome, Kids’ Science State also provides a 40-page teacher resource to each teacher bringing classes to see a Spacedome program. The resources contain many wonderful astronomical activities designed to be exciting for students and easy for teachers and includes with some interesting ideas for cross curriculum teaching.

As the Scitech outreach department, the Kids’ Science State runs Spacedome sessions for people of all ages in communities throughout Western Australia. In 2004 alone over 600 individual Spacedome sessions were run, reaching students and adults from Wyndham to Esperance…and many places in between.

If you would like more information on the Spacedome programs or to find out when we might be travelling to a community near you visit the Scitech website or call us on (08) 9215 0700.