Fourteen billion years ago, the universe was little more than a cloud of hot hydrogen gas. Dr. Patrick Breysse will tell the story of how that cloud of gas evolved into all of the galaxies, stars, and planets we see around us today. In the process, he’ll explain some of how astronomers study the history of the universe, and how telescopes are secretly time machines that let us look directly into the distant past. He’ll also talk about some of the great mysteries that remain in this story, and how we’re working in Toronto and elsewhere to solve them.

The recent discovery of gravitational waves marks the dawn of a new field of astronomy and provides new opportunities to study several elusive systems in the Cosmos. Compact binaries, made up of pairs of stellar remnants, are difficult to observe with traditional astronomical observations, but they are the most prolific source of gravitational waves. In this edition of Cosmos From Your Couch, Dr. Katie Breivik will do a light-speed intro of General Relativity, gravitational waves, and what we’ve learned from the 12 gravitational-wave detections to date!

COVID-19 got you down? Getting bored sitting at home in self-isolation? Come take a look at the stars from the comfort of your own home! On Wednesday, March 25, The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will be talking about what’s up in the sky right now. Learn how you can observe while still self-isolating, how to use those old binoculars you have lying around to take a look at the sky, and (weather permitting) go on a tour of the galaxies and nebulae that are up in the sky right now using RASC’s robotic telescope.

Due to the temporary closure of the Ontario Science Centre until April 5th, this event has been cancelled. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Toronto Centre, invites new members and their family who are also members, to join an orientation get together – First Light 2020.

Due to the temporary closure of the Ontario Science Centre until April 5th, this event has been cancelled. 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 7:30pm, socializing at 7:00pm.

In this talk Dr. Roberto Abraham will do his best to give you an astronomical perspective on Life, the Universe, and Everything.

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. Check our homepage for GO/NO-GO calls as this event is weather dependent.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis and the suspension of in-person classes at UTM, we have cancelled this meeting. Fifty years ago, the third mission was launched to land two people on the Moon. On the third day of the flight, a problem occurred which cancelled the plans for the lunar landing and instead, started a race to get the astronauts home alive. In this talk, Randy Attwood will detail all the things which had to go right to save the Apollo 13 crew.

We are sad to announce that, as a precaution to protect against COVID-19, we will be cancelling Astronomy on Tap for March 20. This was not an easy decision to make, but we decided that it was in everyone's best interests to err on the side of safety and caution.   Astronomy on Tap T.O. will, of course, continue this year and in the future - so please continue to check out Event Horizon, our website, and social media for those dates.

Looking for a way to connect with the wider world–or maybe the wider universe during the pandemic? The Dunlap Institute and our partners from across the University of Toronto want to connect with you! Come hear about everything from old cosmic mysteries to the latest research, all from the comfort of your own couch. We’ll be presenting talks online via Zoom and YouTube.

Looking for a way to connect with the wider world–or maybe the wider universe during the pandemic? The Dunlap Institute and our partners from across the University of Toronto want to connect with you! Come hear about everything from old cosmic mysteries to the latest research, all from the comfort of your own couch. We’ll be presenting talks online via Zoom and YouTube.

Explore humanity's search for meaning in an evolving universe with the world-renowned physicist and best-selling author of The Elegant Universe.