For those of you who couldn’t make it, we’ve started recording somem of the Astronomy-related Public Talks organized by us and by other UofT organizations.
If you can’t see the Flash slideshow below, please go to this Video Channel.
Monthly Tours
On the evening of the first Thursday of each month in downtown Toronto, we give you an hour with a young researcher, followed by planetarium shows and free observing through our telescopes.
This activity is run entirely by volunteers among the graduate students in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto.
Our graduate students give you an hour with a young researcher — enough to answer all your questions about black holes and 2012, or to give you an idea of life in Antarctica.
Because the speakers themselves are often students, they still remember how hard it is to get your head around these concepts the first time: everyone is encouraged to attend!
You can access our rooftop observatory, thanks to the dedication of about a dozen Astronomy graduate students.
They will be your guides, pointing the telescopes in the right direction for you, and explaining why the objects you see are the way they are.
But remember: one thing our crew cannot control is the weather. And because optical telescopes don′t let you to see through the clouds, you should check the weather forecast, both for visibility of the sky and for temperature: the telescope domes are open — not heated or conditioned.
In our basement in downtown Toronto, and hooked to a joystick, are a computer and a projector inside a dark inflatable igloo.
This gear allows Mike Williams — and the crew of Teaching Assistants he has trained — to fly students, visitors and schoolchildren (25 of them at a time) through the Universe.
Along the way, the audience gets an idea of how the Universe all works and fits together.
The software and joystick make for an interactive experience, as the show can be modified on the fly.
