AstroFest turns 5! All AstroFest activities are free of charge,although usual fees continue to apply to regular programming in the Planétarium theaters. On June 7 and 8, the Planétarium will be all decked out to host the AstroFest—THE annual rendezvous for sky watchers! Take part in dozens of free activities offered by the Planétarium team and some thirty professional astronomy partners. With a rich and varied program on the theme of “Mars, Life in Red”, the AstroFest will unfold in two parts: during the day, scientific activities for the whole family, and from 6 pm on Saturday, cosmic buffs are invited to an evening of marshmallows, telescopes, lectures, DJs and cocktails! SPECIAL PROGRAMMING → Mars in the spotlight A planet that has been the stuff of space travel fantasies for centuries, Mars is the star of the ROUGE 2100 exhibition, which will be open free of charge until midnight for the occasion! The red planet, which will be visible in the sky, high above the horizon, from dusk onwards, will also be at the heart of the activities on offer throughout the day. This is a phenomenon that only happens every 26 months! Although we know more about certain regions of the Martian surface than we do about the bottom of the Earth’s oceans, there is still so much to explore on this “neighbouring” planet. Scientific activities for the whole family Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Take up scientific challenges, get into arts and crafts, at tend workshops, take a break at story time, explore the astrophotography exhibition in the company of some 30 partners who’ve come to celebrate their passion for astronomy. And don’t miss out these activities with the Planétarium team: Programming Stamp hunting Hunt for stamps and collect them in a little travel diary so you don’t miss a thing at the AstroFest. Water rockets Using a soda bottle, build and decorate your own rocket before firing it up in the sky and taking it home to continue your experiments. Make your own meteorite Use plasticine to create a true-to-life meteorite. Learn how to recreate a fusion crust on the surface and make it as magnetic as the real thing. Take your meteorite home in its own individual box and make a list of all the specs, as you would with a real scientific collection. Mars-mobile Take up the tinkerer’s challenge! You’ll have to transport a Martian rock from point A to point B, in a scale-model Martian environment. To do this, you’ll have to build your own robot using the material on site. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Observing the Sun As the Sun is still in a period of high solar activity, use this opportunity to observe a whole bunch of fascinating phenomena on its surface (all day, weather permitting). Saturday evening - June 7 |Special evening programming On the evening of June 7, enjoy a double “Red Planet Special” conference in the Chaos Theatre, and observe Mars through a telescope. Saturday only - 7 to 9 p.m. | Double conference Our two speakers’ presentations will be supported live with immersive 360˚ visuals that take full advantage of the dome environment. Beyond the physical features of Mars, which will be discussed with our surprise speaker (to be determined), Planétarium director Olivier Hernandez will touch on some of the ethical and social questions we have a right to ask as human flights to the planet Mars are being planned as we speak. Saturday only - 9 p.m. to midnight |Marshmallows, music and telescopes Come and roast marshmallows over the AstroFest braziers between telescopic observations of Mars and the Moon. This pleasant evening will be accompanied by live music from Vincent Lemieux. In the event of bad weather, telescope viewing will be replaced by a musical performance by the artist inside the Chaos Theatre under projections of the night sky. Good to know All AstroFest activities are free of charge, although usual fees continue to apply to regular programming in the Planétarium theaters. Check out the film schedule to enhance your visit. The ROUGE 2100 immersive exhibition is open free of charge throughout the AstroFest, from 9 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Festive food offer ($) on the AstroFest site Outdoor activities will be cancelled in the event of rain.