Exoplanets and the Search for Habitable WorldsDr. Sara Seager, Professor of Planetary Science and Physics, MITLive stream: https://tinyurl.com/tuzowilson

Hello astrophiles! Star Trek, Star Wars, and basically all space-based sci-fi are stuffed full of exotic extraterrestrials and peculiar planets. But what is the scientific basis of these weird and wonderful worlds? To find out, come out to ASX's November Star Talk on Wednesday, November 21st, in McLennan Physical Laboratories (MP), Room 102 where Dunlap Institute Director Prof. Bryan Gaensler will be shedding light on the hard facts underpinning science fiction!

Our most recent generation of cosmology experiments, such as the Planck satellite and observations of distant supernovae, have reduced all of cosmology to the very precise measurement of eight parameters. This relatively simple model seems complete with no hints of additional elements required to explain the entire evolution of the Universe from the Big Bang to some far distant future. 

The Allan I. Carswell Observatory is please to invite you to a special screening of the movie Clara on Tuesday November 27, at 7:00pm, in the Nat Taylor Cinema, N102 Ross, York University. The free screening will be followed by a Q&A with the writer/director of the movie Akash Sherman, technical advisor to the movie Dr. John Moores and Prof. Paul Delaney, the Allan I. Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy.

Unpack the fabric of space-time with Dr. Rainer Weiss’ exploration of gravitational waves in the era of multi-messenger astronomy. This ground-breaking discovery earned Dr. Weiss the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics, along with his work on LIGO.

Join scientists from McMaster University’s Physics and Astronomy Department for an entertaining night filled with scientific discussion, trivia, and beer. At Science on Tap, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with researchers in various scientific fields as they present some of science’s most intriguing phenomena. There will be plenty of time to ask questions while the scientists are on stage, or afterwards over cold pints. Come try this educational twist on a night out at the pub. Admission is FREE! Doors open at 7:00pm, event starts at 7:30pm.

One of the primary goals of NASA’s landmark Kepler Space Telescope Mission, which launched in 2009, is to identify “Goldilocks” planets beyond our solar system — that is, planets orbiting other stars in our Galaxy that are just right, “neither too hot nor too cold," for hosting life as we know it.

Several space agencies have launched orbital missions over several decades, and the volume of data and imagery they have acquired is staggering. The unprecedented level of detail available has allowed scientists and engineers alike to explore surfaces well beyond Earth. Join Dr. Bhairavi Shankar as she highlights the findings and explores how and why we investigate planetary surfaces.

December 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the famous Apollo 8 Moon mission. Andy Chaikin will share stories from the historic mission including anecdotes from his interviews with the 3 Apollo 8 astronauts, and details on the mission’s origins and aftermath from his own in-depth research.

Our topic for this evening will be an overview of astronomy in light-polluted areas using video-assisted observing or for public outreach.