In a year filled with previously unimagined news, this announcement might have been the most surprising: Scientists have identified signs of possible life, not far out in the galaxy, but right next door, on Venus.
Happy Fall Equinox! We'll spend this session talking a bit about what equinoxes and solstices actually are, and will then jump into some lunar targets.
Monday, September 14, 2020 to Thursday, September 17, 2020
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'll help you get started in visual astronomy by explaining the basics - how to use a sky chart, how sky coordinates work (spoiler alert - it's easy), what's a variable star, how to tell a galaxy from globular cluster, and more.
Mars and the Moon are getting close this week! Once you spot those in the next couple days, we'll be on the hunt for a little bit of everything, and a lot of double stars.
From the first announcement of its discovery in the atmosphere of Mars in 2003, methane has “punched above its weight” in our scientific imagination of the red planet.
Summer 2020 evenings will feature Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, and Mars, too! We'll preview how to view those planets, what features on them to look for, and some observing tips.
Monday, August 24, 2020 to Thursday, August 27, 2020
Hover above the Moon like an astronaut and get eye-to-eye with the planets. Find colourful stars, star clusters, bright nebulae and even another galaxy.
This week we are catching the Moon early in its cycle, which means we have the opportunity to spot quite a few craters. We'll be seeking out the diamond ring crater this week!
Monday, August 17, 2020 to Thursday, August 20, 2020
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.
It may surprise you to know that we can still observe the Big Bang, in a way! In fact, every time you accidentally flip to TV static, you're watching a fragment of it right there!
Misconceptions are deeply-held beliefs which are incorrect. People have misconceptions about the most basic of astronomical topics, such as the cause of the seasons.
The skies down under (and in South America and Africa) host amazing sights not visible from Canada. We'll use Stellarium to travel to the Southern Hemisphere and see the sights.
Just over one hundred years ago Albert Einstein revealed the Theory of General Relativity and one of its predictions, the existence of gravitational waves.
It's the Perseids Meteor Shower! This week we will be passing through a cloud of dust left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle, which means we'll have the chance to see shooting stars.
Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - 12:00pm to Friday, August 7, 2020 - 4:00pm
The Space Educators Institute is 3-day conference focused on providing training in space-themed resources for formal and informal educators from across Canada.
Do you have a question for one of our astronomers? Our expert team will be live on Tuesday, July 28th at 7pm EDT for a “Cosmos From Your Couch” – Q and A edition!
