http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy_Day

Solar System Social is a space-themed speaker series that brings exciting ideas and research from the field of planetary science to the general public.

Ele Willoughby, PhD, talks about her experience of being part of the Canadian Space Agency's Astronaut Recruitment Program. She will share what happens before an astronaut is selected and will discuss the exciting upcoming space missions.

Showtimes: 7:00pm, 8:10pm, 9:15pm

Showtimes: 7:00pm, 8:10pm, 9:15pm

Showtimes: 7:00pm, 8:10pm, 9:15pm

Cold gas giant planets with long orbital periods make up half of the planets in our Solar System, yet we have observed only a handful of similar exoplanets around other stars. Is this due to the limitations set by our observation methods, or are cold giants truly rare in nature? In this talk, Miranda Herman  will explore the difficulties associated with finding such exoplanets, describe her efforts to increase the number of known cold giants, and discuss how they can inform us about the population of exoplanets as a whole.

In this talk and slide show, Michael Watson will discuss his recent month-long trip to Australia, which included several nights of stargazing and astrophotography from the dark skies of the Australian Outback. He will talk about how he prepared for the trip, the equipment that he took, and how he produced the photos that you will see. His astrophotos will be interspersed with photos of some of the sights from around the Land Down Under.

An entertaining and educational ramble through the sky and the past, we will touch on a loose constellation of objects and ideas, from far flung galaxies to the newest earthbound telescopes that study them. In the end, we will tie them all together with a thread that connects them to each other and to the HAA. This talk is suitable for all ages and all levels of expertise, including beginners.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell, winner of the 2018 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, is an accomplished scientist and champion for women in physics. As a graduate student in 1967, she co-discovered pulsars, a breakthrough widely considered one of the most important scientific advances of the 20th century. When the discovery of pulsars was recognized with the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics, the award went to her graduate advisor.