Science Outreach - Athabasca

August 8, 2026 - Gifts from the Forest: Mushroom Edition. Please register to join Dr. Roland Treu in a foraging walk, identification and information session on mushrooms. This will take place from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM near Rochester, AB. Limited registration! Contact Tammy at [email protected] for more information or to register. Registration opens on July 8 and will be limited.

https://scienceoutreach.ab.ca/events/upcoming/

August 8, 2026 - Gifts from the Forest: Mushroom Edition. Please register to join Dr. Roland Treu in a foraging walk, identification and information session on mushrooms. This will take place from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM near Rochester, AB. Limited registration! Contact Tammy at [email protected] for more information or to register. Registration opens on July 8 and will be limited.

https://scienceoutreach.ab.ca/events/upcoming/

scienceoutreach.ab.ca

🌕✨ A rare Blue Moon is coming!

On May 31, 2026, the night sky will glow under a beautiful Blue Moon — a special full moon that happens only once in a while. Despite the name, the Moon won’t actually turn blue; it will shine bright and dramatic, especially as it rises near the horizon.

Alongside the Moon, several planets will also be visible across the sky, creating a stunning celestial lineup for skywatchers. For the best view, look after sunset from a dark location with a clear horizon, away from city lights.

Look up, enjoy the moment, and witness one of the most beautiful sky events of the year. 🌌🪐

Jupiter doesn’t actually have a solid surface. 🪐🌪️
Even though it looks like a giant planet you could land on, it’s mostly made of hydrogen and helium, with no clear “ground” like Earth.

🌫️ So what would happen if a probe fell into Jupiter?

The deeper it descended, the more extreme everything would become.
It would sink through:

• Violent layers of dense gas
• Superheated liquid hydrogen
• A deep ocean of metallic hydrogen unlike anything found on Earth

Instead of hitting solid ground, the atmosphere simply becomes thicker, hotter, and more compressed with depth.

⚡ The bizarre metallic hydrogen layer

Far below the clouds, the pressure becomes so intense that hydrogen begins acting like liquid metal and can even conduct electricity.

Scientists believe this strange layer is what powers Jupiter’s enormous magnetic field — the strongest of any planet in the Solar System.

💀 Could anything survive the journey?

Probably not.

The crushing pressure, extreme heat, and powerful storms would destroy any spacecraft long before it could reach the deepest layers of the planet.

✨ The wildest part?

On Jupiter, there’s no real place to stand…

👉 only deeper and deeper layers beneath the clouds.

Thank you to Dr. Lawton Shaw and Carmen Allen for running these school sessions with Science Outreach - Athabasca!

https://www.facebook.com/share/18VNr1NwMq/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Science Outreach - Athabasca Spider Talks with Dr. Robert Holmberg at Whispering Hills Primary School in Athabasca.

May 12, 2026 - Science Outreach - Athabasca 25th Anniversary Potluck Supper with Dr. Robert Holmberg at his home (664051 Range Road 242) Baptiste Lake, AB. Please see the attached map on our website for directions. Arrive any time after 4 PM and Supper at 6 PM. Please bring something to share.
scienceoutreach.ab.ca

Upcoming Events - Science Outreach Athabasca Promoting science awareness in the Athabasca region.

Flying Buffalo: Establishing new bison populations via air transport with Wes Olson Science Outreach – Athabasca presents… Flying Buffalo: Establishing new bison populations via air transport Speaker: Wes Olson, Retired National Park Warden ...

April 14, 2026 - Flying Buffalo: Establishing new bison populations via air transport with Wes Olson, Retired National Park Warden. This event will be held in Room 106, Athabasca University Governing Council Chambers at 7 PM. Free community event for anyone to attend! Refreshments and door prizes. Events may be photographed, recorded and shared. View the recording of this talk on our YouTube Channel.