By listening to the cold, dim hiss of the universe, we can learn about its fiery beginning. Prof. Renée Hlozek's talk will focus on how cosmologists use microwave instruments to measure this birth-light. She’ll describe the telescope she uses, high up in the Atacama Desert of Chile, and what we learn about what the universe contains, how it started and ultimately how it is going to end.

This unique and lively presentation is sure to entertain all ages and is especially suitable for newcomers to astronomy. In the first half of the evening travel back to Renaissance Italy in March of 1610, where Galileo himself is portrayed as introducing you to his newest scientific instrument. Hear in his own words how he built this telescope, the observations he made, and the magnificent discoveries that even he realized would revolutionize our understanding of the heavens.

The visible matter that we can touch and see makes up less than 5% of the Universe. The rest is made up of dark matter and dark energy, and is not yet well understood. What are these “dark” pieces of the Universe, how do we know that they exist, and what are they made out of anyway? Dr.

Watch the Perseids meteor shower with the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at the Binbrook Conservation Area from 8 to 11pm on Friday August 12. Admission is free so bring the whole family for a fun evening under the stars! There will also be a meteorite display, night sky tour and members will set-up their telescopes for observing celestial objects. Bring a blanket or lounge chair as lying down is one of the best ways to enjoy the meteor shower. Weather and clouds permitting. No rain date scheduled. No pets please.

Astronomer Christa Van Laerhoven, will discuss planets that orbit stars other than our sun. Some of these planetary systems look very different from our own!

Quench your thirst for astronomy! On Wednesday, August 3rd, at the Tranzac Club! It'll be another fun evening of pints, astronomy news, mind-expanding talks, games and prizes with astronomers from the University of Toronto. Plus, there's always plenty of time and plenty of astronomers around to answer all your cosmic questions.

Showtimes: 2:00pm (Arabic), 7:00pm (Arabic) Centuries before Galileo observed the moons of Jupiter, scientists in the Middle East were building the first cameras, developing the physics of light, and taking some of the first steps toward understanding the nature of the Universe. Explore the remarkable astronomical ideas and discoveries of the Islamic Golden Age and its impact on modern astronomy in this series of special planetarium shows presented live by a U of T astronomer.

Showtimes: 7:00pm (Arabic), 8:00pm (English) Centuries before Galileo observed the moons of Jupiter, scientists in the Middle East were building the first cameras, developing the physics of light, and taking some of the first steps toward understanding the nature of the Universe. Explore the remarkable astronomical ideas and discoveries of the Islamic Golden Age and its impact on modern astronomy in this series of special planetarium shows presented live by a U of T astronomer.

In January of 2016, astronomers presented evidence that a giant planet may be lurking far beyond Neptune, quietly waiting to be found. If it exists, ‘Planet 9’ would be the first solar system planet to be discovered in over 170 years, with all due respect to the fallen Pluto. In this talk, we’ll examine the case for Planet 9, learn about the latest efforts to detect it and figure out if it is going to kill us all. Hint: no.

Receive a detailed introduction to the basics of Astronomy through an indoor presentation. Learn your way around the night sky in an amazing portable planetarium. We'll venture out into the darkness for naked-eye viewing of constellations, more detailed observations with binoculars (provided) and viewing planets and deep-sky objects through telescopes of amateur astronomers. Presenter: Ryan Marciniak