Space Camp Saturday: January - Black Holes

Join us every last Saturday of the month for Space Camp Saturday, a hands-on boot camp into hot topics in space science. Each month brings a new theme—from space exploration to special relativity—led by special guests from the UBC Department of Physics and Astronomy. Families can enjoy interactive talks, demos, and activities designed to spark curiosity for all ages.

🌌 Immersive Planetarium show
🎤 Feature talk by UBC Department of Physics & Astronomy
🗺️ Scavenger hunt with a specially curated activity guide
🏆 Claim your certificate!

We’re kicking off Space Camp Saturday with a truly fascinating topic: BLACK HOLES! Join us on Saturday, January 31, from 2–5PM at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre for an afternoon of discovery that will bend your mind (and spacetime).

Start with our immersive planetarium show, Messengers of Time and Space, where you’ll witness exploding stars, colliding black holes, and other cosmic cataclysms as real-time astronomy brings the dynamic Universe to life. Recommended for ages 10+

Then, dive into our feature talk, Hitchhiker’s Guide to Black Holes, presented by UBC Department of Physics & Astronomy. Step into the gravity well and try not to drop your keys! Explore black holes as they truly exist, not just the ones from movies. Learn what scientists have discovered, what mysteries remain, and why pop culture keeps getting them slightly wrong. From event horizons and time dilation to gravitational lensing, mergers, and Hawking radiation, this talk covers it all.

Plus, witness a spacetime fabric demo that lets you bend reality right before your eyes! Misconceptions will be gently dismantled, big questions will stay deliciously open, and curiosity will leave you spinning like matter in a black hole.

Collect the pieces of your blown mind and dive into a scavenger hunt designed to spark curiosity and exploration. Complete the challenges in the activity guide and earn your certificate!

This is your chance to explore one of the Universe’s most fascinating phenomena in a fun, family-friendly environment—perfect for budding astronomers and space enthusiasts of all ages.

Info: A new age of astronomy is just about to start that will allow researchers to capture exploding stars, colliding black holes and other cosmic cataclysms in real time. “Messengers of Time and Space” is designed to illuminate the imminent revolution in astronomy driven by time-domain and multi-messenger observations. This immersive experience invites audiences to explore the dynamic cosmos and witness the transformative impact of real-time data on our understanding of the Universe. Ages 10+ recommended.

Info: Step into the gravity well and try not to drop your keys. This talk, presented by UBC Department of Physics and Astronomy, dives into black holes as they really are, not just the movie monsters. We will unpack what scientists know, what remains stubbornly mysterious, and why pop culture keeps getting them slightly wrong. From event horizons and time dilation to lensing, mergers, and Hawking radiation, we will explore what black holes do, where they come from, and how we manage to observe something that refuses to be seen. Expect misconceptions to be gently dismantled, big questions to stay deliciously open, and a hands-on spacetime fabric demo to bend reality right in front of you. ?️✨

Info: Follow along and complete tasks from our activity guide specially curated for this event to take you on a journey of exploration and learning! Collect your certificate at the end of the adventure!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, Canada

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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