From August 16 - 20, 2023, the mobile planetarium show "Universe on Tour" in the Park of the twin cities in Dortmund. Local research institutes from Dortmund and Bochum present their research
As part of the Year of Science 2023 - Our Universe, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is presenting current topics in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics together with local partners. In a 75-square-meter mobile planetarium, regional research institutes will present their current projects in various program items in addition to a 360-degree planetarium show. Those who want to join in the research can document light pollution in the surrounding area in the Night Light Stage project.
Berlin, August 7, 2023 - For two days starting August 14, 2023, the planetarium will be set up in the Park of the Twin Cities in Dortmund and will then be ready for the public. In total, the roadshow "Universe on Tour" will tour 15 large and small cities from May to September 2023 to get citizens excited about research in space. The tour is being carried out as part of the Year of Science 2023 - Our Universe, a joint initiative of the BMBF and Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD). The Planetarium Berlin Foundation and the Astronomische Gesellschaft (AG) are responsible for the implementation and content of Universe on Tour.
In the planetarium tent, visitors travel to the depths of space during an exclusive planetarium show. In an accompanying tent, guests can also visit an exhibition on the theme of "light" and find out what it reveals about the universe and what role gravitational waves play.
The Interplay of Cosmic Matter: News from the Research Institutes in the Dortmund and Bochum Region
In the exhibition tent as well as in evening lectures, researchers of the TU Dortmund University from the Chair of Experimental Physics, the Astronomical Institute of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, the Chair of Theoretical Physics of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the Zeiss Planetarium Bochum will also present current research projects.In particular, the Collaborative Research Center of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the TU Dortmund will present its current research in astroparticle physics at the roadshow location. With the help of data from the IceCube experiment at the South Pole, they recently succeeded for the first time in localizing the point of origin of neutrinos in the Milky Way. The new result makes it possible to create a picture of the Milky Way using neutrinos, which bears witness to extremely energetic processes - the researchers want to report on this and much more.
Lectures in the planetarium tent (start 20:00)
- Wednesday, August 16, 2023: "Jellyfish in Space - Star Formation and Magnetic Fields Outside Galaxies" by Dr. Ancla Müller, Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
- Thursday, August 17, 2023: "Shielded by the wind: The heliosphere and life on Earth" by PD Dr. Horst Fichtner, Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
- Friday, August 18, 2023: " In the Shadow of Light: New Data Reveal the Extent of Nocturnal Illumination" by Christian Fischer and Sebastian Oettgen, Ruhr University Bochum.
- Saturday, August 19, 2023: "The View into the Universe - New Telescopes for Astronomy" by Michael Stein, M.Sc., Ruhr-Universität Bochum
- Saturday, August 19, 2023: "Light Walk" with the citizen research project Night Light Stage for the digital recording of light pollution.
The researchers on site are available for interviews upon request. The planetarium setup will take place from August 14, 2023 at 4:00 pm and can be accompanied by the press, with prior registration. Interview requests can be made in advance at be registered.
Due to the great interest of the citizens, the reservable time slots for the planetarium show in Dortmund have already been fully booked for several weeks - a novelty since the start of "Universe on Tour" in May. Nevertheless, it's worth stopping by: there are enough seats for spontaneous visitors. In addition, the exhibition in the accompanying tent can be visited within the opening hours without reservation. The researchers will also be on site and available for direct exchange.
Opening hours: August 16 - 18: 09:00 - 22:00 | August 19: 10:00 - 22:00 | August 20: 10:00 - 18:00
Location: Park of the Twin Cities, Schmiedingstraße 27, 44137 Dortmund, Germany
Citizen research project night light stage
Interested parties can also take part in the Citizen Science project Night Light BOOST by documenting the light pollution in their surroundings and providing the collected data for research. On August 19, 2023, at 8:00 p.m., the guided Light Walk will start at the planetarium tent. No registration is necessary here. The project leaders will be available for interviews.
Universe journey on water
Anyone who fancies even more stargazing can also do so from the water: The exhibition ship MS Wissenschaft is touring Germany and Austria in the Year of Science 2023, calling at more than 30 smaller and larger cities. This time, everything on board will revolve around outer space - and man's place in the cosmos.
All stops of the roadshow "Universe on Tour": wissenschaftsjahr.de/2023/universe-on-tour
Information on the Science Year 2023 - Our Universe: wissenschaftsjahr.de
The Science Years are an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) together with Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD).