Dark Matter Day 2023
October 31, 2023
— Events
While most people in North America know October 31st to be a day of dress-up and candy, scientists around the world know the day as Dark Matter Day. Dark Matter Day celebrates the historic hunt for the unseen matter of the universe. Since 2017, institutions and science facilities around the globe have celebrated the search for dark matter with events to highlight what we know about dark matter and what is still left to be uncovered. Check out how SNOLAB has been celebrating Dark Matter Day below!
Poster Contest
Here at SNOLAB we asked students in Canada and around the world to submit their best poster designs on the topic of dark matter – and students didn’t disappoint with their creativity and knowledge of the subject. Check out all of the submissions in our Flickr album. The winners and honourable mentions in each category are listed below. Thank you to everyone who submitted a poster – the SNOLAB community has loved seeing the creations!
4 – 8 years old
Winner: Elijah (Canada)
Honourable mentions: Delilah (Canada), Isabel (Canada)
9 – 11 years old
Winner: Miguel (Canada)
Honourable mentions: Heather (Canada), Jack (Canada)
12 – 16 years old
Winner: M’komii (Canada)
Honourable mentions: Riana (Bangladesh), Zoe (Canada)
17 – 19 years old
Winner: Gabriel (Belgium)
Dark Matter Day Podcast
SNOLAB’s own Blaire Flynn, Senior Education and Outreach Officer, is a co-host for a new podcast investigating dark matter. Particle Mysteries: The Coldest Case is a new podcast from the Interactions Collaboration that dives into the search for dark matter and how researchers around the globe are working together to solve this particle mystery. The first episode of this four part series was released today in celebration of Dark Matter Day.
CBC Morning North Interview
Late last week SNOLAB’s research group manager Dr. Stephen Sekula sat down with CBC Morning North host Markus Schwabe to explain the universe’s “darkest” mystery, and how SNOLAB strives to solve it. Listen to their interview all about dark matter and the global outreach initiative, Dark Matter Day.
Dark Matter Day at Dynamic Earth
The SNOLAB team even brought some dark matter science to the Halloween festivities at Dynamic Earth. A stop that highlighted SNOLAB’s role in the global search for dark matter was included in the seasonal exhibits at the centre this year.