During the opening weekend of the Toronto Biennial of Art, an intimate conversation under the stars brings together artist, poet and educator Elder Duke Redbird and renowned astrophysicist Dr. Renée Hložek to discuss the human relationship to the cosmos from a multiplicity of perspectives.

Families will be introduced to the wonders of astronomy through a presentation on a variety of exciting astronomy topics, followed by age-appropriate celestial activities and a demonstration of the 74" telescope. If the sky is clear the dome will be opened and the telescope pointed to an interesting celestial object for the visitors to view. All participating family members must be registered and any participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a registered adult.

Watch the recorded video: https://youtu.be/wT9d0ueob74

Families will be introduced to the wonders of astronomy through a presentation on a variety of exciting astronomy topics, followed by age-appropriate celestial activities and a demonstration of the 74" telescope. If the sky is clear the dome will be opened and the telescope pointed to an interesting celestial object for the visitors to view. All participating family members must be registered and any participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a registered adult.

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Alanna Mitchell. Alanna is the author of The Spinning Magnet, her most recent book, all about the Earth’s magnetic field. Part history, part science, it explores all we know about one of the most important and least understood parts of our planet. From our discoveries about the connection between magnetism and electricity to the possibility that we are about to undergo a pole reversal, Alanna brings a spirited talk about this fascinating subject off the page onto our stage.

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched 29 years ago in 1990. After overcoming problems caused by a defective main mirror, Hubble has made discoveries that have revolutionized our view of the universe we live in. This talk will cover the history of HST based on a history book the speaker is writing for NASA.

How did the universe originate and evolve? What can science tell us about the origin of life and biological evolution? And what are the chances of extraterrestrial life?

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!

Bob McDonald has been the host of CBC Radio's Quirks & Quarks since 1992. He is a regular science commentator on CBC News Network and science correspondent for CBC TV's The National. Hear him discuss his new book, An Earthling's Guide to Outer Space.

In his new book An Earthling's Guide to Outer Space, beloved science commentator Bob McDonald takes us on a tour of our galaxy, unraveling the mysteries of the universe and helping us navigate our place among the stars. If you’re pondering how to become an astronaut, or what dark matter really is, or how an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, look no further. Through a captivating mix of stories, experiments, and illustrations, McDonald walks us through space exploration past and present, and reveals what we can look forward to in the future.