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.

If humans hope to ever get to Mars or farther, we will need to be able to grow food in space. The space travel environment produces unique challenges to growing food, including microgravity, limited water, artificial light sources and many more. Research at the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility at the University of Guelph is showing us how to grow food in space and, in the process, is developing beneficial technologies for earth-bound farming.

The Hubble Space Telescope has completely revolutionized our understanding of the universe, and has become a beloved icon of popular culture. As revolutionary as Hubble has been, we have pushed it to its scientific limits in many ways. Hubble’s successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, has been in the works for almost two decades and is scheduled to launch in late 2018. It will be 100 times more powerful than Hubble.

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.

The moon is between us and the sun. Without the moon in the sky at night, deep sky objects are easier to observe.

Annular Eclipse in parts of Africa and South America. See: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Feb26Agoogle.h…

Camping and working in the southernmost, coldest, highest, driest, windiest, least populated continent on Earth is no easy feat! Every year a team of meteorite hunters collects meteorites along the base of the Transantarctic Mountains. How do these explorers survive? What’s so special about these rocks? And why go all the way to Antarctica to find them? Come hear Dr. Marianne Mader, a participant of the 2012-2013 ANSMET (Antarctic Search for Meteorites) Program talk about her experience and then put yourself in her shoes by practicing a little meteorite hunting of your own!

Showtimes: 7:00pm, 8:00pm, and 9:00pm

Join us for our monthly recreational astronomy night meeting. This is where our members get to show their latest projects, or give tutorials and tips on just about everything to do with Astronomy. Talks start at 7:30, socializing starts at 7:00.

Florida Keys, Florida, US See http://www.scas.org/winter-star-party/

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.

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.