Showtimes: 7:00pm, 8:00pm, and 9:00pm Centuries before Galileo observed the moons of Jupiter, scientists in the Middle East were building the first cameras and developing the physics of light. Without the benefit of modern technologies, they took some of the first steps in understanding the motions of the planets and in explaining the nature of the Universe.

Four of the world’s most distinguished astronomers celebrate 50 years of work and friendship with a road trip through the southwestern United States, discussing and exploring the mysteries of the universe. Recapturing youthful adventures and recounting each other's influences on the most exciting period in astronomy’s history, they share roots from a time following Russia’s launch of Sputnik, when the U.S. accelerated their space program. The four British astronomers spent a formative year together in California in the early 1960s.

Quench your thirst for astronomy! On Thursday, February 11th, at the Tranzac Club! It'll be another fun evening of pints, mind-expanding talks, games and prizes with astronomers from the University of Toronto. Plus, following all the talks and games, there'll be plenty of time and plenty of astronomers around to answer all your cosmic questions.

Dr. Nicolas Crouzet, Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics

See for details http://www.rascto.ca/content/nova-astronomy-course-

Moonless night allowing to see deep sky objects

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.

Showtimes: 7:00pm, 8:00pm, and 9:00pm Centuries before Galileo observed the moons of Jupiter, scientists in the Middle East were building the first cameras and developing the physics of light. Without the benefit of modern technologies, they took some of the first steps in understanding the motions of the planets and in explaining the nature of the Universe.

Half of all stars in the night sky are actually in pairs or “binaries.” That is, instead of a single star like our Sun, these systems have two stars orbiting each other. Planets in these systems could have twice as many sunrises and sunsets. There could be twice as many solar systems to explore, double the habitable zones and, therefore, more opportunities for life to form! Is this really the case? Life here on Earth fundamentally relies upon the Sun’s (relatively) stable and quiet nature. Binaries, on the other hand, are sometimes found to exchange mass and more often explode!

Prof. Victoria Kaspi, Department of Physics, McGill University Neutron stars are a celestial gift to scientists. These incredibly dense collapsed stars act as very precise cosmic beacons that help shed light on some of the most challenging problems in modern physics. In her Feb. 3 talk at Perimeter Institute, astrophysicist Victoria Kaspi will explore these strange objects, explain how astronomers are using them to study issues ranging from the origins of the universe to the very nature of matter, and even let the audience hear the cosmic symphony they create.

Astronomer Christa Van Laerhoven describes how the planets in our solar system formed and migrated. Some of them started off very far from their current orbits. Presented in collaboration with the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics.