Public to get first live glimpse of Stawell underground lab

Teachers, students and members of the public from around the world will get a sneak peek at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL) in a livestream event.

The Beyond the Stars – Astronomy Across the Globe livestream tour and webinar will be held at 9am on Wednesday, April 2.

It is the first opportunity for the public to see a live tour of SUPL, the first underground physics laboratory in the Southern Hemisphere.

The event is organised by the Center for Collaborative Education, featuring ex-NASA educator and Center for Collaborative Education Director of STEM and Caltech researcher Brandon Rodriguez and ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics Senior Education and Public Outreach Manager Jackie Bondell.

It aims to provide teachers with the knowledge and resources to teach physics and astronomy subjects, incorporating the latest information on experiments happening in Australia and internationally.

Speakers will discuss astronomy and provide information on Australia’s first major dark matter experiment – the SABRE South experiment – which is one of the projects that SUPL will host.

SABRE South is the partner of an experiment in Italy and aims to confirm or refute the presence of dark matter signals which have been detected in the Northern Hemisphere. The SABRE South vessel will be transported to SUPL and begin taking data in 2025.

Center for Collaborative Education Director of STEM and Caltech researcher Brandon Rodriguez said:

“This livestream event aims to bring together astronomy knowledge from across the globe to arm educators with the knowledge and confidence to teach their students about physics and astronomy in a way that is engaging and current. In my work at NASA and CALTECH I have been responsible for translating complex science to make it accessible to all ages and knowledge levels, and I hope to use these skills to help teachers inspire their students about the exciting science happening in Australia and around the world.”

ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics Senior Education and Public Outreach Manager Jackie Bondell said:

“Ground-breaking dark matter research is set to begin in the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory and this livestreamed tour is a wonderful way to share this exciting work with science-lovers around the world. The tour will show the high-tech equipment that is already in the laboratory, and the facilities and features that will help to keep the laboratory pristine once the SABRE South dark matter detector arrives.”

SUPL Facilities and Laboratory Manager Kim Mintern-Lane said:

“The Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory is the first laboratory of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and we’re looking forward to giving teachers, students and the wider public a glimpse of this extraordinary facility in regional Victoria.

“I know that many people in Stawell and beyond will be interested in seeing this laboratory for themselves. As it is not easy to bring people into the lab, a livestream tour is the best way of providing people with an opportunity to explore the facility. We are lucky to have science education experts to guide the tour.”

Registration for the event is at https://cce.jotform.com/250637152135047 or see QR code on attached flyer.