Capture the Beauty of Physics - 2026 Australian Institute of Physics ACT Branch Photo Competition (13 Jul 2026)

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Capture the beauty, power, and wonder of physics in a single frame! The Australian Institute of Physics's ACT Branch is excited to invite photographers, scientists, students, and physics enthusiasts across the country to enter the AIP-ACT Branch Photography Competition.

Whether you're snapping light refraction through a prism, the intricate mechanics of a machine, or stunning astronomical phenomena, we want to see physics through your lens.

Check out the winning photos from the 2024 and 2025 competition for some inspiration!

Key Highlights

Free Entry: There is no fee to enter.
Open Nationally: Anyone currently residing in Australia (with an Australian bank account) can participate. Entrants under 18 are welcome with parent or guardian consent.
Multiple Submissions Allowed: Submit multiple entries in a single registration or enter multiple times while the online form remains open.
Keep Your Copyright: You retain full ownership of your photos! Winners simply grant a non-exclusive license to help promote physics and future AIP events.

Prizes

$250 Grand Prize
$150 School Student Prize
$150 University Student Prize

Judging & Criteria

Entries will be evaluated by the AIP-ACT Branch Committee based on two key criteria:

Relevance to Physics: How well the image captures physical concepts, phenomena, or principles.
Artistic Merit: Composition, creativity, and visual impact.

Winners will be notified via email within one month of the competition closing date.

Photo Submission Rules

Original Work: Photos must be your own original creation, and you must own all rights to them.
Permissions: If people are recognisable in your photos, please ensure you have their consent before submitting.
Content: Submissions must be appropriate and free of illegal or offensive content.

How to Enter

Get out your camera or phone and capture your best physics-themed shot.
Fill out and submit the online entry form before submissions close.

Got questions? Reach out directly to the AIP-ACT Branch Committee at actbranch@aip.org.au or visit the ACT Branch website and our Facebook page.

Closing date: 30 September 2026

Submit your entry here!

Download the competition poster to spread the word!

Download the competition terms and conditions

21st Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs (9 Nov 2026)

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:00:00 GMT

From the Standard Model of particle physics to concordance cosmology, many of the most compelling ideas about how the universe works now point toward a rich and elusive dark sector. The 21st Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs, hosted by The University of Western Australia at its Crawley campus on the banks of the Swan River in Perth, will be held from 9–13 November 2026, and will gather leading experts and emerging researchers to probe this frontier.

Workshop website

Continuing a distinguished series that began at CERN in 2005, the workshop will focus on innovative theoretical developments, laboratory and astrophysical searches for dark matter and dark energy, and state-of-the-art efforts to uncover new weakly interacting particles and constrain their properties. This edition will highlight the growing Australian and Asia–Pacific contributions to dark sector physics, drawing on UWA’s strong ecosystem in precision measurement, quantum technologies and astroparticle physics.

The workshop will delve into the physics of axions, WIMPs and WISPs in all their facets: direct and indirect detection strategies, novel detector concepts and readout schemes, astrophysical and cosmological probes, and the latest theoretical frameworks that knit these approaches together. By bringing together diverse communities, from quantum sensing and precision metrology to gravitational waves, cosmology and particle theory, the Patras Workshop in Perth aims to spark new ideas, forge fresh collaborations and accelerate progress toward unveiling the dark sector.

Information on previous workshops can be found here.

The Australian Institute of Physics upcoming events

Capture the Beauty of Physics - 2026 Australian Institute of Physics ACT Branch Photo Competition (13 Jul 2026)

21st Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs (9 Nov 2026)