Science ministry to host summer space academy lectures at Gwacheon museum

The Ministry of Science and ICT said the National Gwacheon Science Museum will host its 2026 Summer Vacation Space Academy on August 8 and 15. The sessions aim to share cutting-edge research on dark matter and black holes with teenagers and science enthusiasts.

Held at the museum's planetarium, each lecture begins with a dome video reconstruction of astronomical data before two specialists deliver presentations followed by a Q-and-A.

The August 8 session, "People Lighting Up the Dark World," focuses on invisible substances comprising 95 percent of the universe. Hoseong Hwang from Seoul National University will explain his team's discovery of 142 candidate dark galaxies composed mostly of gas and dark matter. Donghee Chung from Pennsylvania State University and the Korea Institute for Advanced Study will present findings on dark energy properties derived from large-scale structure observations and deep learning.

The August 15 session is held under the theme "K-Telescope, K-Astronomer." Hyunwook Roh from Kyung Hee University will describe how the Korean VLBI Network collaborated globally to image matter ejection from the supermassive black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy. Seonju Jeong of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute will explain how the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network detected rogue planets drifting without a host star.

Lee Choong-won, director of the National Gwacheon Science Museum, said the lectures would broaden public understanding of current astrophysics issues while providing students with direct access to active researchers. "This event offers a valuable opportunity for teenagers contemplating their futures to expand their horizons through the vivid voices of scientists working fiercely in the field," he said.

Registration opens July 29 at 10 a.m. via the museum website, capped at 250 people per session. The fee is 10,000 won, with a 20 percent discount for annual members and 50 percent for middle and high school students.