UofT AstroTour: Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astrology, What’s in a Name?

Speaker: Dr. Michael Williams

http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/astrotours/?page_id=392

One question that I have been asked a lot over the years is “what is the difference between astronomy and astrophysics?”  More surprisingly I have frequently run into people who confuse the words astronomy and astrology. We will take a voyage through time and see how astronomy, astrophysics and yes even astrology are connected. We will explore how human understanding of the universe around us has evolved from an Earth centered view to our modern cosmology, of an expanding universe, where the Earth is just one world among many.

About the Speaker:
Michael did his graduate work at the University of Calgary, where he worked on searching for extra-solar planets in globular clusters and converted a cold war era satellite tracking telescope to be used to search to asteroids and variable stars.  Since completing his MSc, he has worked for various observatories writing telescope control software.  Currently he works at the University of Toronto managing the telescopes and developing demonstration equipment used for undergrad classes.

Location:
University of Toronto - St. George Campus
McLennan Physical Labs, Room 102
60 St. George Street

The U of T Astronomy Public Tour, or AstroTour, is a monthly event operated by the graduate students of the U of T Astronomy Department. The Tour features a public lecture by a member of the Department on topics ranging from their research to great moments in astronomical history. Following the lecture, tour-goers can peer at the night sky through the Department’s balcony and dome telescopes, or watch a planetarium show run live by astronomer. Admission to the tour is free. Seating for the lecture is on a first-come, first-served basis (doors open ten minutes before the start of the lecture), and the telescope observing is walk-in. The planetarium shows require registration, found here.