Black holes are perhaps the strangest thing in a very strange universe. An almost unbelievable prediction of Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, black holes create a gravitational pull so strong, they can trap anything that gets too close. Even light. Black holes also pull on our imaginations, often appearing as the villains in science fiction. Join RCIScience for an exploration of the latest science about black holes and a discussion about how they are depicted in popular culture. Are black holes truly terrifying?

Magnetism is one of the fundamental forces of nature and shows up in many places in our daily lives, but it’s not something that most people associate with astronomy. Yet the entire universe is filled with magnetic fields on all scales: from planets to stars to galaxies to galaxy clusters and beyond. In this talk we will take a look at the magnetic universe: the nature of magnetism, the causes of magnetism in astronomical objects, how we detect magnetism in distant places, and how magnetic fields affect our understanding of astrophysics.

This Fall and Winter, spend a Sunday afternoon in the OTHER dome at the DDO! Join us in the Starlab Digital Planetarium and take an interactive journey through the Universe, led by a DDO astronomer. Tour the night sky and see close-up views of galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters, view our Solar System's Planets and alien exo-planets, land on the moon, Mars - and the Sun, travel home to Earth from the edge of the Universe, hear Indigenous starlore, and watch immersive fulldome movies!

Join us at the Ontario Science Centre for our monthly Solar Observing on the TELUSCAPE observing pad. This is the area in front of the Science Centre's entrance. We use specialized telescopes that are safe to aim at the Sun. Check our home page on the Friday prior for go/no-go calls as this event is weather dependent.

Everyone is invited to join us and Durham Skies for stargazing at the edge of Lake Ontario. Take a free look through different kinds of telescopes (including solar-filtered scopes) to get close-up looks at sunspots, craters on the Moon, and planets visible in the current night sky. Peer into deep space and try your hand at spotting faint star clusters and nebulae. You can even bring your own telescope along and we'll give you expert advice on how to use it better.

This Winter, spend a Sunday afternoon in the OTHER dome at the DDO! Join us in the Starlab Digital Planetarium and take an interactive journey through the Universe, led by a DDO astronomer. Tour the night sky and see close-up views of galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters, view our Solar System's Planets and alien exo-planets, land on the moon, Mars - and the Sun, travel home to Earth from the edge of the Universe, hear Indigenous starlore, and watch immersive fulldome movies!

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.

Expect the UnexpectedExperience our brand new event series for the very first time at ROM After Dark: Lunar and explore the celestial world like never before.

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!

Join us at the Ontario Science Centre for our monthly Solar Observing on the TELUSCAPE observing pad. This is the area in front of the Science Centre's entrance. We use specialized telescopes that are safe to aim at the Sun. Check our home page on the Friday prior for go/no-go calls as this event is weather dependent.