Speakers: Randy Attwood, Mississauga Centre Honourary President; Michael Watson, Toronto Centre The solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 presents an opportunity for many amateurs to observer their first total solar eclipse. These are rare events and may be overwhelming for the novice TSE observer. The presenters have seen several dozen eclipses and will share their experiences with advice to those planning to travel to the centre line.

Throughout its 4.5 billion year history, life on Earth has been threatened by cataclysmic events such as extreme volcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts which have caused mass extinction of species. While events like these can drastically alter the face of the Earth, the planet still remains. So what would it take to completely obliterate the Earth? Starting from birth, the evolution of solar systems and the environments they exist in can put planets towards catastrophic fates. In this talk, we will explore some of the incredible ways that nature can destroy planets.

Dr. John Percy will take you on an illustrated, guided tour of the universe.

Discover the story behind alien worlds, black holes, dark matter, dark energy, the birth and death of stars, and more! Learn about the wondrous elements of the universe in this fascinating talk from Dr. John Percy, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and in Science Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Let's Talk Science presents a workshop on Astronomy. Learn about the different constellations and discover what stars are made of.

Dr. Nicholas V. Hud - Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture

Join Professor William Trischuk, U of T Physics, a founding member of the ATLAS experiment, as he discusses his work with CERN and the discovery of the Higgs Boson.

Showtimes: 7:00pm, 8:00pm, and 9:00pm There are many misconceptions about our universe, and the most common one is also the simplest – its size. Our universe is much bigger than we imagine it to be, and only through visual aid (such as a planetarium) can one really grasp the true dimensions of it. This planetarium show will journey through the different scales of the universe, starting with familiar objects like the moon and the Earth, and ending with the furthest reaches of the observable universe.

William Shakespeare lived in a remarkable time, a period we now recognize as the first phase of the scientific revolution. New ideas about the human body, the earth, and the universe were transforming western thought, and yet, "Shakespeare" and "Science" are rarely uttered in the same breath. Dan Falk will explore Shakespeare's interest in the scientific discoveries of his time, asking what he knew, when he knew it, and how that knowledge is reflected in his work.

Source of many wonders, stars also have finite lifetimes, which can end with a shredding breath before falling into obscurity – as our sun shall one day – or with magnificent explosions (supernovae) that can outshine a whole galaxy for a day.