Weekend of Science: what is still open on Sunday 4 October

Universities, research institutes, museums and libraries are opening their doors this weekend. On Sunday you can visit places in Utrecht, Dwingeloo, Groningen, The Hague, Borger and Tilburg, among others.

The Weekend van de Wetenschap (Weekend of Science) takes place every year on the first full weekend of October, and this year that is 3 and 4 October. From libraries to companies and from universities to science parks, the participants open their doors for a look behind the scenes of science and technology, according to the organisers. Part of the programme was on Saturday only. This is a selection of what is open today, Sunday. The full programme is at weekendvandewetenschap.nl.

Utrecht: from dinosaur tooth to supercrystal

Utrecht University is holding an open day today at Utrecht Science Park, in the Minnaert building and the Koningsberger building, from 10:00 to 17:00. According to the university, you can decipher centuries-old manuscripts, grow a supercrystal, play giant democracy mikado or travel to the North Pole with a VR headset. Admission is free and you do not need to register.

The radio telescope in Dwingeloo. Archive photograph, May 2022; not a view of the 2026 open day. HarmMunk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Resized and converted to WebP; same licence. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dwingeloo and Groningen: stars and strange planets

ASTRON in Dwingeloo is open from 12:00 to 16:00. According to the institutes organisation NWO-I, you can go inside the radio telescope next to the ASTRON building. In Groningen, SRON opens its doors from 12:00 to 17:00 in the Kapteynborg building on the Zernike Campus. There, according to NWO-I, you step into the world of space research: you can solder a satellite, visit a planetarium show and hear how researchers search for strange planets. The NWO-I open days are suitable for all ages, according to the organisation, and admission is free.

The Hague: taking devices apart

In The Hague, Science Centre On Tour of TU Delft and TU Delft Campus The Hague are organising activities today at the Universiteitscampus Spui. At "Electronics: beyond repair?" you find out what is actually inside electrical devices, and here you are encouraged to take them apart. The activities in The Hague are free.

Borger: minerals, fossils and amber

Today the Hunebedcentrum in Borger is all about geology, minerals and fossils, reports the local news site Klazienaveen Lokaal. You look through microscopes at crystals and learn to recognise minerals, and from 12:00 to 16:00 you can study amber millions of years old in the knowledge centre. The programme runs from 11:00 to 17:00.

Tilburg: science in the library

At the LocHal library in Tilburg there is a programme for young and old from 13:00 to 17:00. Admission is free, but you register first. For parts of the programme with a limited number of places, such as the theatre show and workshops, you then receive an invitation by email to sign up.