Ralf Gellert, PhD, Department of Physics, University of Guelph Thanks to NASA’s Mars Rovers, we know much more about our planetary neighbour than we did a decade ago. Controlled from Earth, experiments conducted by the Rover instruments reveal that Mars was once a more habitable place. A key instrument on all 4 Mars Rovers and also on the Rosetta mission lander, Philae, is the Canadian APXS experiment, a soda-can sized device that measures the composition of rocks and soils. Co-Sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Toronto Centre.

In November 2014, the world witnessed the first time man landed a spacecraft on a comet. How did we get there? What will we learn? Highlights from one of the most exotic places ever visited with Sebastian Daemgen. What's Out There? Lectures in Astronomy presented in collaboration with the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics.

This is an adaptation of a successful planetarium show which Damien Robertson ran while at McMaster. The show focuses on a ‘recap’ of the life of Betelgeuse as it inches closer towards supernova and explores star formation, evolution and death. He’ll also talk about how planet formation is an intrinsic process in star formation as well. He’ll modify the talk to include more observational details and current images.

Dr. Rachel Friesen explains how stars and solar systems form and how astronomers peer into their birth sites using telescopes on earth and in space.

Hear talks by three of the world's leading astrophysicists as they explore the astronomy and physics of the origin, life and ultimate fate of stars. Learn about white dwarves, supernovae, gravitational waves, neutrinos, high-energy observatories, and more.

A fun introduction to astronomy by learning about and "correcting" common misconceptions about the universe, from everyday life to space aliens, black holes and the birth of the universe - the Big Bang. No science background needed! Lots of time for questions and discussion! With Dr. John Percy. What's Out There? Lectures in Astronomy is presented in collaboration with the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics.

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to make your own telescope. With a few tools, wood, glass and metal you can create telescopes that will show you the moon’s craters as if you were flying above them, the rings of Saturn, stars being born and die and even another galaxy! The Toronto Tool Library East is hosting the Telescope Makers of Southern Ontario group. The program for this afternoon is:

Showtimes: 7:00pm, 8:00pm, 9:00pm The stars in the night sky seem unchanging and eternal, and have remained the same for the history of human civilization. However, over millions and billions of years, new stars are born, live out their long lives, and eventually die in a blaze of glory. This show will explore the lives of stars by visiting stellar nurseries, supernova remnants and much more!

Short talks on various astronomical topics - an update on RASC activities, an astronomical clock in Prague, what to look for in the skies in 2015 and how to shoot time-lapse astrophotos - and more! Meeting LineupLeslie Strike - National Update John Golla - Prague Astronomical Talk Randy Attwood – Observing Highlights in 2015  Andrew Opala - Time Lapse Photography

Measuring light pollution of your sky, see www.globeatnight.org