The Origins Institute at McMaster University invites you to a public lecture with Dr. Kailash C. Sahu, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute, and an instrument scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope. Did you know that 5000 exoplanets have been discovered to date through a variety of techniques? Gravitational microlensing is one such technique that can detect planets around faraway stars, and also planets orbiting at large distances from their parent stars.

Watch the recorded video: https://youtu.be/7I0V5Xk9UJo

This presentation introduces the great divide between pseudoscience and science that exists in the world of archaeoastronomy, just as it does in other fields. Archaeology uses the material record excavated from sites such as Cahokia and Stonehenge, information from architecture, and well-informed cultural perspectives to learn the role played by the skies in particular cultures. We’ll pay particular attention to the indigenous Americas with examples from the “Old World” too.

As we wrap up our series, we'll go over a few easy winter targets to get you started on your next season of observing. Join us to take a look at rising winter favourites such as Orion, Taurus, the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula.

Watch the recorded video: https://youtu.be/NA8ghwOUjQ0

Radio telescopes — such as the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), HIRAX, and the planned CHORD — will lead to unprecedented advances in astronomy. How will they shape future research? To find out more, join us online on Wednesday, October 28 at 6:00pm.

Have you ever looked through a telescope? Take a tour of the night sky through a telescope and snap a photo or two of your favourite celestial body. Learn about the phases of the Moon, get an up-close look at the planets, and gaze at the brightest stars (weather permitting).

Everyone is invited to join us and Durham Skies for stargazing at the edge of Lake Ontario. Take a free look through different kinds of telescopes (including solar-filtered scopes) to get close-up looks at sunspots, craters on the Moon, and planets visible in the current night sky. Peer into deep space and try your hand at spotting faint star clusters and nebulae. You can even bring your own telescope along and we'll give you expert advice on how to use it better.

What’s the biggest constellation out there, and the smallest? What's the farthest thing a human eye can see - or the hottest star - or the closest star cluster?

Hover above the Moon like an astronaut and get eye-to-eye with the planets. Find colourful stars, star clusters, bright nebulae and even another galaxy. Our monthly City Star Party is the place to catch universe from within the city limits at Bayview Village Park. If you don't have a telescope then you will find many astronomers who would love to share a view. If you are thinking of buying a telescope, viewing with other people's equipment is the best way to make a good choice. If you have a telescope or binoculars, please bring it!

We're catching a few last targets and going over some previous ones that you may have missed from earlier in this series. We're going to do our best to see the Zodiacal Light this week too.

Watch the recorded video: https://youtu.be/bfJ-1ofwVFQ