Heads up! Literally. You won’t want to miss the annual Perseid meteor shower, which peaks on August 11 and 12. Find out what causes these fast-moving meteors to appear in our summer sky — and maybe even spot a few! Can’t catch a falling star? Never fear. With telescope observing, comet making and an out-of-this-world expert who’ll provide an update on the OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu, there’s astronomical proportions of fun to be had by the whole family.

The Perseids are the most reliably visible meteor shower at the most favorable part of the summer, the weekend of August 11th, at New Moon. If you have ever seen a shooting star, during a meteor shower you can expect to see many of them, appearing to radiate from the constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky. The meteors are created by particles of comet dust left in this part of Earth's orbit by a passing comet. Peter Millman, one of the first astronomers to work at the DDO, made the study of meteors like these the subject of his Harvard Ph.D. in 1932.

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

Director Alison McAlpine's sublime non-fiction film takes us to Chile's Atacama Desert, one of the best places on our planet to explore and contemplate the splendour of the night sky.

http://stellafane.org/

http://www.nyaa.ca/starfest.html

For thousands of years, people have gazed up at the sky without realizing its hidden secrets: that most of the stuff out in space cannot be seen with our eyes! It is only in the last 100 years or so, with the use of new instruments like radio telescopes, we have begun to reveal this invisible universe. Dr. Jennifer West will discuss some of the things that we hope to learn and also the challenges and possible new technologies that come with it. Drop-in program. First come, first seated.

STEM Camp will introduce children to the basics of astronomy, geology, geography, and engineering. In order to encourage and open up opportunities for young children in STEM careers, hEr VOLUTION is partnering with BeSpatial Consulting and Tetra Ryerson to deliver a camp focusing on space.

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, so the date and time are determined closer to.

http://www.mksp.ca/

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 7pm, event starts at 8pm.

Showtimes: 7:00pm, 8:10pm, 9:15pm The stars in the night sky seem unchanging and eternal, and have remained the same for the history of human civilization. However, over millions and billions of years, new stars are born, live out their long lives, and eventually die in a blaze of glory. In this show, we will be exploring the lives of stars by visiting stellar nurseries, supernova remnants and much more!