NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is on its way to asteroid Bennu on a sample return mission. What questions are mission scientists hoping to answer? Who gets to play with the space dirt? Why was Bennu chosen? Will we need Bruce Willis to blow it up? Learn the answers to these questions and more!

In honour of Science Literacy Week, the McMaster Space Initiative Science Café is a night of learning filled with talks from local scientists in the McMaster community

Our life on Earth, and the Earth itself, are products of cosmic events that happened long ago and far away, but are still on display in the night sky. How are the ingredients of life and the environments for life being made? Is the Earth special or typical? Is our Universe especially good at making life? Who else might be circling one of the stars in our sky?

Professor Yanqin Wu investigates the formation and evolution of planets, both inside and outside our own Solar System. Her current attention is devoted to a recently discovered puzzle, the presence of planetary systems around white dwarf stars, stars that have lived through their lives and are cooling off quietly in their cemeteries. The observational evidence is difficult to square with our current knowledge about the extra-solar planetary systems, and perhaps a new picture is required.

For millennia, people (including our First Nations) have used the sky as a clock, calendar, and compass. Astronomy thus became deeply rooted in their spirituality, mythology, and culture.

Cancellation Notice Killarney Provincial Parkhttp://www.ogorman.ca/https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/killarney

Day and night are equally long.

Ever wondered about Cosmology? This talk takes one through the Big Bang theory, the proof that is out there, and basically the past, present, and future of our Universe. Come hear an expert from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada talk about what cosmology means to you.

Join John Gauvreau of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers as he takes us on a virtual tour of the universe.

In January of 2016, astronomers presented evidence that a giant planet may be lurking far beyond Neptune, quietly waiting to be found. If it exists, 'Planet 9' would be the first solar system planet to be discovered in over 170 years, with all due respect to the fallen Pluto. In this talk, we'll examine the case for Planet 9, learn about the latest efforts to detect it and figure out if it is going to kill us all. Hint: no.

The quest for ever-clearer views of the sky has driven astronomers to put telescopes in some pretty remote places, from arid deserts to the mountain tops and even the middle of Antarctica. Professor Keith Vanderlinde talks about his work with the 10m South Pole Telescope and why he undertook an 11-month "winterover" working in Antarctica.

Science Literacy Week is an effort to showcase the excellence and diversity of science outreach institutions around the country. By joining forces in a one week blitz of activity, the goal is to highlight just how outstanding our scientists and science communicators are coast to coast.