Common menu bar links
The Centre of the Universe is the National Research Council’s astronomy outreach centre. Located at the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics in Victoria, the centre features interactive exhibits and curriculum-linked educational experiences, including a behind-the-scenes tour of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.
Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to book your class for an unforgettable field trip to the Centre of the Universe.
Below is a list of grade-appropriate programs to complement a telescope tour and planetarium show. For more information, or to book your visit, please e-mail or call us at 250-363-8262.
All of our programs can be delivered in either English or French.
Curriculum-linked Multimedia Programs or Workshops
Choose one of the program combinations below, or design your own visit.
Grade 1 Science
Plaskett Telescope Tour
The Sky and the Seasons planetarium show
Curriculum Link: Daily and seasonal cycles as seen in the sky
Total: 60 mins, $80+HST per class
Grade 3 Science
Plaskett Telescope Tour or Comet Demo
Tour of the Solar System multimedia show / planetarium show
The Sky Tonight planetarium show
Curriculum Link: Characteristics of objects in our solar system
Total: 90 mins, $120+HST per class
Grade 6 (option 1)
Plaskett Telescope Tour
The Sky Tonight planetarium show
Zero Gravity multimedia show (with focus on Canada in space)
Curriculum Link: Canadian contributions to the exploration of the extreme environment of space
Total: 90 mins, $120+HST per class
Grade 6 (option 2)
Plaskett Telescope Tour
The Sky Tonight planetarium show
Astrobiology multimedia show
Curriculum Link: How do we define life? Can life exist in the extreme environments on and beyond Earth?
Total: 90 mins, $120+HST per class
Grade 9 Science
Plaskett Telescope Tour
View from a Blue Planet planetarium show
Understanding the Universe multimedia show
Curriculum Link: The major characteristics of the universe and how we understand them
Total: 90 mins, $120+HST per class
Grade 11 Earth Science
Plaskett Telescope Tour
The Sky Tonight planetarium show
Cosmic Fireworks multimedia show
Curriculum Link: Characteristics of astronomical entities such as supernova remnants, quasars, black holes, etc.
Total: 90 mins, $120+HST per class
Grade 12 Physics
Plaskett Telescope Tour
The Sky Tonight planetarium show
The Science of Black Holes multimedia show
Curriculum Link: Gravitational attraction between masses and circular motion in the universe
Total: 90 mins, $120+HST per class
Additional Programs
Starlab Outreach Programs – Bring the Centre of the Universe to your school with the Starlab Portable Planetarium.
