Three things you should know about this weekend’s Star Party at U of T
Curious about the cosmos? This Saturday, head to ߲ݴý’s downtown Toronto campus for the . The back campus fields will be transformed into a makeshift observatory where you can set your sights on distant planets and learn a thing or two from U of T’s astronomy experts.
So what can you expect?
It’s free!
Students and the general public are invited to the party, organized by the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics and sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and the Fédération des Astronomes Amateurs du Québec.
Sat Jul 29 don't miss Dunlap's Star Party at . Telescopes, free glasses and more!
— Dunlap Institute (@DunlapInstitute)
I spy
Students, faculty and members of RASC will be on hand with telescopes pointed at the moon, Jupiter and Saturn. You might also catch a glimpse of the International Space Station, which is set to pass by a couple times during the night.
“I've had so many people who when they've seen Saturn, in particular, through a telescope, they are just amazed. It really drives home the point that there are other planets floating in space,” says Jennifer West, a postdoctoral researcher at Dunlap and one of the event organizers. “It's a really cool experience.”
Volunteers will also be handing out star finders and eclipse glasses for the upcoming partial eclipse on Aug. 21.
U of T has hosted a number of astronomical events in the past, including eclipse viewings (photo by Lorne Bridgman via U of T Magazine)
You are not alone
The event on campus is one of many taking place in cities and towns all over Canada on Saturday night as part of the .
“This is an opportunity for people across Canada to get out and share in this experience,” says West.
Coming to party with us on Saturday? Tag @UofT on and !