Join The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's Tom Vassos for a tour of the universe highlighting several of the great astronomy discoveries made in the last 25 years. Explore life on the International Space Station and many fun facts about the universe. Drop-In Program. First Come, First Seated.

Speaker: Max King, University of Toronto In July 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto, photographing the last unexplored major body in our solar system. Taking over 25 years from its original conception to its phenomenal photographic fly-by, New Horizons upended the space industry. We will explore the story behind the most unlikely expedition into our solar system, the development of the mission from scrap paper to the spacecraft itself.

See the Milky Way and galaxies with the unaided eye. Point your telescope to find the many dim deep space objects that sprinkle the sky. Away from Toronto's light polution, there is so much to see. We observe from the Long Sault Conservation area, an hour outside of Toronto. We meet around dusk once a month in the parking lot for views only seen in dark sky conditions. We hold this event on the first clear night of our week-long window. Check our homepage for GO/NO-GO calls as this event is weather dependent.

Albert Einstein predicted a century ago the existence of gravitational waves – ripples in the fabric of spacetime moving at the speed of light. It was believed that these ripples were so faint that no experiment would ever be precise enough to detect them. But in September 2015, LIGO did exactly that. The teams working with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors in Louisiana and Washington measured a loud gravitational wave signal as it traveled through the Earth after a billion-year journey from the violent merger of two black holes.

Please remember to dress warmly because it will be cold tonight.

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). It’s also International Observe the Moon Night. Contemplate the Earth indoors then head outdoors to consider the Moon, stars and neighbouring through a high-tech telescope.

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!

Raise your beakers! The Science Centre turned 50, and we’re inviting you to celebrate with us. Featuring the all-new MindWorks—an innovative Science Centre original exhibition exploring memory, creativity, emotions and the mind’s inner workings with virtual reality, a large scale obstacle course and a mega multiplayer decision-making competition.

Researchers from around the world work out of the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah and the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island, Nunavut, to prepare for human exploration of Mars.

Our understanding of the motions of stars within our Milky Way and of the many small galaxies that orbit around it has changed dramatically over the past few years owing to new observational surveys and significant advancements in our understanding of galaxy structure.