BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Mississauga Centre - ECPv6.15.11//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Mississauga Centre X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://rasc.optunia.me X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Mississauga Centre REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Toronto BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20190310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20191103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20200308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20201101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20210314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20211107T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20220313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20221106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240426T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240426T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20240311T212139Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240422T020822Z UID:3528-1714161600-1714168800@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Jellyfish in the Sky: Ram-Pressure Stripping in Galaxy Clusters DESCRIPTION:Jellyfish in the Sky: Ram-Pressure Stripping in Galaxy Clusters\n\nGalaxies are shaped by the environments around them\, resulting in an infinite variety of shapes\, colors\, and dynamics.  Galaxy clusters are one of the most extreme environments in the universe\, whose member galaxies are transformed by the cluster as they fall into its gravitational field. When encountering these dense environments\, interactions with hot gas between members of a cluster can push gas out of a galaxy in a process called ram-pressure stripping\, which results in a metamorphosis into a jellyfish galaxy before shutting off star formation. Jellyfish galaxies keep their stars and dark matter untouched\, but the gas is pulled away from the galaxy resulting in a morphology similar to jellyfish tentacles – beautifully marking the transition between an isolated galaxy and a member of a cluster. This talk will discuss the processes surrounding ram pressure stripping and the dance of galaxies\, dark matter\, and intra-cluster gas\, and will include an interpretive dance performance! \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Bio: Dr. Leo Yvonne Alcorn is a postdoctoral researcher at the David A Dunlap Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at University of Toronto and received her doctorate from Texas A&M University in 2019. Her research focuses on all aspects of galaxy clusters\, but particularly the effects of the cluster environment on the properties of their member galaxies. She is expanding her areas of expertise into astronomical pedagogy and the relationship between astronomy and speculative fiction. In her free time\, she screams into the abyss of the night sky\, reads and writes tomes of horror and wonder (she is a cosmic horror fiction enthusiast)\, and dutifully serves her two feline companions\, Eris and Kobu. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This will be an in-person meeting only but will be available on our website a few days later. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/jellyfish-in-the-sky-ram-pressure-stripping-in-galaxy-clusters/ LOCATION:UTM Davis (DV) 3140 CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/galaxy_shape.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240322T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240322T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20240227T210440Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240311T211329Z UID:3432-1711137600-1711144800@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Event - Astrosleuthing an Aurora: Robin Metcalfe DESCRIPTION:Historical records as old as the first millennium BCE contain reports of mysterious glowing lights in the night sky\, some of which have been attributed to aurorae. But how do we know that celestial phenomena described vaguely as an “unusual red glow”\, “a pre-dawn rainbow” or “a five-coloured light” can definitively be connected to auroral activity? In this talk\, I will explain the science behind the production of an aurora – from its origins at the Sun’s surface to the light show in Earth’s atmosphere – and in the process we will see how the evidence left behind by an aurora can be used to sleuth out its connection to ancient records.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Bio: Robin Metcalfe is a professor in the Division of Natural Science at York University\, where she has been teaching physics and astronomy courses for over 20 years. Robin’s PhD research pertained to extragalactic astronomy but her current interests are in the search for life beyond Earth and the implications of such a discovery on humanity. Through her teaching\, Robin shares her passion for the night sky and the outdoors. She teaches students to appreciate what the night sky has to teach us\, to gain perspective from our place in the Universe\, and to value our precious planet Earth. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This will be an in-person meeting only. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-event-astrosleuthing-an-aurora/ LOCATION:DV2072 William Davis Building UTM CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Aurora_banner_2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240223T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240223T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20240207T191335Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240219T211449Z UID:3410-1708718400-1708725600@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night / Annual General Meeting DESCRIPTION:A short presentation followed by the Centre’s 2023 Annual General Meeting \nSpeaker : Randy Attwood\, President\, Mississauga Centre \nTopic: Some recent solar eclipses. \nWith the April 8 solar eclipse fast approaching\, the speaker will look back at some past solar eclipse many RASC members have witnessed. \nAnnual General Meeting – Members can download the Agenda\, Financial information\, 2022 AGM minutes\, 2024 Council Slate and Secretary’s Report here:  MRASC AGM 2023 Meeting  (Members only – password required) \nZoom info\nMeeting Link \nMeeting ID:  889 0586 7458 URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-annual-general-meeting/ LOCATION:DV2072 William Davis Building UTM CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/230623142359-05-solar-eclipse-2017-file-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240126T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240126T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20231013T132411Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240122T233625Z UID:3107-1706299200-1706306400@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:The Search for Life on Mars: NASA's Perseverance Rover Mission DESCRIPTION:The Search for Life on Mars: NASA’s Perseverance Rover Mission\nThe talk will provide an overview of the goals of the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission\, progress thus far\, and plans for returning samples from Mars. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Short Biography of Chris Herd \nChristopher (Chris) Herd has had the dream of studying rocks from Mars since the age of 13. After an undergraduate degree in Geological Sciences from Queen’s University in Kingston\, Canada\, he studied meteorites from Mars for his PhD at the University of New Mexico\, and then worked at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Since 2003 he has been a professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. His research includes studies of meteorites of a variety of types\, as well as ways of curating meteorites and future returned samples under cold and clean conditions. He is the curator of the University of Alberta Meteorite Collection—the largest university-based meteorite collection in Canada\, and home to the world’s only meteorite curation facility that operates at cold temperatures. He is a Returned Sample Science participating scientist in the Perseverance rover mission.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This is an in-person meeting at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Dr. Herd will be joining us via ZOOM. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/the-search-for-life-on-mars-nasas-perseverance-rover-mission/ LOCATION:DV2072 William Davis Building UTM CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/search_for_live_mars.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20231124T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20231124T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20231026T183052Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231111T220157Z UID:3125-1700856000-1700863200@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Dr. Matthew J.O Svensson / The Artemis Program and the 2023 Expedition to Kamestastin Lake\, Labrador DESCRIPTION:Talk Synopsis\nSince astronauts first explored the Moon during NASA’s Apollo program\, space exploration has been solidified as a crowned jewel of national achievement\, a symbol of technological advancement and international cooperation. NASA’s Artemis program was established in 2017 and its inaugural flight\, Artemis I\, performed an uncrewed flyby of the Moon in 2022.  With the planned launches of Artemis II and III in 2024 and 2025\, respectively\, the return of humans to the Moon is forthcoming. Artemis II will fly the first woman and the first Canadian to the Moon\, performing a flyby and returning to Earth. Subsequently\, Artemis III is planned to facilitate the first landing of humans on the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972. In preparation of this endeavor\, a multinational and interdisciplinary team of astronauts\, scientists and engineers visited the Kamestastin (Mistastin) Lake impact structure in Labrador\, Canada\, in early September 2023. The rocks at Kamestastin Lake are mainly anorthosite\, a relatively rare rock-type on Earth\, but a rock-type that comprises most of the Moon. Additionally\, by virtue of also being an impact structure\, Kamestastin Lake is an ideal training ground for lunar exploration. Guided by members of the Innu Nation\, the team explored key sites at this impact structure\, trialing lessons and exercises with astronauts in the field. Here\, we provide an exposition of this journey\, an important step in the historic return of humans to the Moon. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Bio: Dr. Matthew Svensson is a planetary scientist with a passion for exploring the origins of life and the resources of the solar system beyond Earth. Matthew’s fundamental training is in geology\, focused on the impact cratering process and the nature of the rocks and minerals that it creates on the Earth\, the moon\, and Mars. He studies how diverse environments created in the aftermath of impact events\, such as crater lakes and hydrothermal systems\, can be suitable for microbial life and explores the many possible roles of clay minerals in this process. Matthew also contributes to refining workflow strategies for astronaut-based geological surveys of the lunar surface and for rover operations on the moon and Mars. Contributing a perspective grounded in geology\, Matthew endeavors to advance our understanding of life and to push the frontier of crewed solar system exploration. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-dr-matthew-j-o-svensson-the-artemis-program-and-the-2023-expedition-to-kamestastin-lake-labrador/ LOCATION:DV2082 William Davis Building UTM\, 3359 Mississauga Rd\, Mississauga\, Ontario\, L5L 1C6\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/mistastin_impact_crater_Charles_O_Dale.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20231027T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20231027T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20230810T175905Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230810T180548Z UID:3001-1698436800-1698444000@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Dr. J. Luna Zagorac DESCRIPTION:What we can’t see in the Universe (and why it might be fuzzy)\nSynopsis: Most people look up at the night sky to admire its host of shiny\, glittering objects; and yet\, it’s really the stuff we don’t see that’s shaping our cosmos. Tune in to hear about how so-called dark matter is instrumental in building galaxies and why some scientists think it might be fuzzy. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Bio: Luna Zagorac is a postdoctoral researcher at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo\, ON. Luna received her Ph.D. from Yale University in 2022\, where her dissertation focused on computer simulations and observational signatures of ultralight (or fuzzy) dark matter. When not thinking about the things we can’t see in the Universe\, Luna works on mapping Ancient Egyptian diagonal star tables to observational astronomical data. Apart from research she enjoys science communication and writing for astrobites.org\, playing video games\, and roller skating. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-dr-j-luna-zagorac/ LOCATION:DV2082 William Davis Building UTM\, 3359 Mississauga Rd\, Mississauga\, Ontario\, L5L 1C6\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/black-hole-space-cosmos.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230922T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230922T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20230521T140735Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T010915Z UID:2812-1695412800-1695420000@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Alfred Ng (CSA) DESCRIPTION:Understanding Lunar Gateway Orbit\nThe Lunar Gateway will be placed in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO). This presentation will explain to the audience why this is a fascinating choice. The presenter will walk through the audience first in the basics of Keplerian orbits. He will introduce concepts of halo orbit\, Lagrangian points\, delta-V and station keeping. To make the presentation accessible to all\, no mathematical formulas will be used. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Short Biography of Alfred Ng \nAlfred Ng obtained his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia in 1992. He joined the Canadian Space Agency as the Research Scientist the same year and he is currently Deputy Director in the Engineering & Capability Demonstration Directorate. He served for 6 years as the Chair of International Astronautical Federation Astrodynamics Committee. He is also a member of International Academy of Astronautics. Currently\, he is managing Stratospheric Balloon program and he is also the Technical Lead on Canadian CubeSat Project. He has authored and co-authored 14 journal publications and over 45 conference papers. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This is an in-person meeting at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Dr. Ng will be joining us via ZOOM. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-alfred-ng-csa/ LOCATION:DV2082 William Davis Building UTM\, 3359 Mississauga Rd\, Mississauga\, Ontario\, L5L 1C6\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/lunar_gateway_orbit.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230623T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230623T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20230508T002937Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230528T165123Z UID:2779-1687507200-1687557600@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - The Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts DESCRIPTION:For over a decade enigmatic\, extragalactic flashes called fast radio bursts (FRBs) have defied a definitive explanation for their origin. Lasting a fraction of a second but releasing more energy than our sun does over several days\, these highly energetic events can be detected out to cosmological distances. Although surprisingly abundant\, occurring somewhere on the sky at least once every minute\, their detection is non-trivial and requires specialized radio telescopes with digital systems that are capable of sifting through terabytes of data on subsecond timescales. One of the premier instruments for detecting these events is the FRB survey operating on Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME/FRB). Detecting FRBs at an unparalleled rate of a few per day\, CHIME/FRB has accumulated thousands of FRB detections in only its first few years of operations. After a brief overview of the CHIME/FRB instrument\, I will summarize some of the key discoveries made from these observations. I will detail how such a large sample of detections has not only enabled a statistical study of the FRB population as whole but also provided a subsample of special events that are particularly informative for the nature of these mysterious sources.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Bio: Dr. Ryan Mckinven completed his PhD at University of Toronto and is now a postdoctoral researcher at McGill University. He works within the CHIME/FRB collaboration on the detection and analysis of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs)\, specializing on the analysis of polarized signals of FRB sources and helping oversee the daily operations of the instrument. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n This meeting is being held on Zoom only. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-the-mystery-of-fast-radio-bursts/ LOCATION:Zoom meeting CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/feature_chime_cropped.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230526T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230526T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20230328T185217Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230521T140127Z UID:2651-1685131200-1685138400@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Ryan Cloutier DESCRIPTION:Inhabitable Worlds:\nAlthough we are likely still decades away from discovering signs of life on worlds outside of our own solar system\, much progress is being made today to identify the best potential candidates for hosting such life. In this talk\, I will discuss much of what we currently know about these so-called exoplanets and how we know it. I will then highlight the steps that will be taken in the not-so-distant future to characterize the conditions on potentially habitable exoplanets using extreme telescopes. All of this in hopes that one day these efforts will culminate with the probable detection of life like our own elsewhere in the galaxy. \nAbout Dr. Ryan Colutier: \nDr. Cloutier is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at McMaster University in Hamilton. \nHis research focuses on the detection and characterization of the galaxy’s most common planets around its most common stars. These exoplanets have sizes between that of the Earth and Neptune and do not have an analog in our solar system that we can study up close. My interests are in using observational techniques to understand the compositions of these so-called super-Earths and sub-Neptunes\, to inform our understanding of how these planets form and whether their surface conditions may be hospitable for life. \nThis talk can be attended either in-person or online via Zoom – here is the link \n  URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-ryan-cloutier/ LOCATION:DV2082 William Davis Building UTM\, 3359 Mississauga Rd\, Mississauga\, Ontario\, L5L 1C6\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/planet_orbit_sketch.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230428T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230428T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20230415T203700Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230419T014759Z UID:2693-1682712000-1682719200@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Gaia Mission & Binary Star HD 165401 DESCRIPTION:Join Us for Two Presentations by University of Toronto Students.\n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Gaia Space Mission\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Presented by: Ing Xhu Lim \nThe Gaia Space mission was a mission launched by the European Space Agency in 2013 to collect astronomical data on the stars in our milky way. The spacecraft aims to measure stars and planets and build the largest (to date) 3D catalog. It used 3 important sensors; Astro\, BP/RP\, and RVS\, which allowed us to gather data on a star’s position\, brightness\, and motion. The Gaia mission collected astronomical data on over 1 billion stars within its range such as their position as well as their estimated temperature and rotation period. The data provided by Gaia can then be used to create accurate stellar maps of our local neighborhood. Gaia’s data is open for the public to use\, taking such data we’re able to determine in bulk the location of stars through parallax right ascension and declination. As for the star’s color\, we can make a good estimate of its color through the black body spectrum caused by the star’s temperature. A blackbody spectrum is a spectrum of the wavelengths of radiation\, by taking the ones that are in the visible light range we can create a good estimate of what the star would look like if we could see it for ourselves. Through a code in Python\, we can feed a bulk amount of data generated by Gaia to create a 3D map for any chunk of data that we want to analyze. \n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ing Xhu Lim is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto. He is currently taking Astronomical Science and Physics. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Analysis of the Binary Star HD 165401\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Presented by: Ziyyad Ali & Tabassom Madayen \nWe present an analysis of a binary star HD 165401. The sunlike star was thought to be an old Population II star with an age of at least 10 Gyrs due to its kinematics\, however\, it has indicators of youth leading Astronomers to believe the star is a Blue Straggler – a star that has gained mass from a close by companion. This would cause HD 165401 to appear bluer and have a higher magnetic activity compared to a typical Population II star. By visually observing the star using the Keck II telescope\, along with a 17 yearlong Radial Velocity (RV) dataset\, we discovered a faint companion HD 165401 Ab. Analyzing this data\, we identified HD 165401 Ab as a whitedwarf with a mass of M = and a cooling age of = 3 Gyrs. This means that it has been only 3 Gyrs since HD 165401 has become a white dwarf and was likely a 5-solar mass star before leaving the main sequence. HD 165401 A would have been smaller in comparison to its current state and gained mass during the planetary nebula phase of HD 165401 Ab\, effectively prolonging its main sequence lifetime. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tabassom Madayen is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Mississauga doing Astronomical specialist. \nFor the past year she has been doing research with Dr Lea Hirsch on discovery and characterization of two nearby binary systems.  With previous experience working on contact binary star systems\, her current field of study is stellar astronomy which contains discovery and classification of stars in binary systems. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ziyyad Ali is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Mississauga doing an Astronomy major\, Physics\, and a Computer Science minor. \nFor the past year he has been doing research with Dr Lea Hirsch on the discovery and characterization of two nearby binary systems. He has previous experience working with Neural Networks and Machine Learning.  His current field of study is using Machine Learning methods in astronomy. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join us in-person at the University of Toronto – Mississauga or via Zoom: \nZOOM LINK URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/university-of-mississauga-student-presentation/ LOCATION:Room DV 1142 William Davis Building CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/student_presentation_thumb.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230324T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230324T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20221130T021119Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230324T152015Z UID:2485-1679688000-1679695200@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Mapping the dark side of the Universe DESCRIPTION:Jessie’s talk will fill us in on the latest exploration into Dark Matter and the work of the Dark Energy Survey. \nSynopsis: Decades of observations and analyses have led to the realization that ninety-five percent of the mass and energy in the Universe is made up of mysterious components known as dark matter and dark energy. The underlying physics behind these dark components is unknown\, but we can constrain their properties by observing how they affect visible matter\, searching for clues for how to develop more fundamental descriptions of this “dark side” of the Universe. This talk will give an overview of how we can use measurements from galaxy surveys\, which map the distribution of matter in the Universe\, to learn about dark energy\, dark matter\, and gravity and will describe the current state-of-the-art results from an ongoing experiment called the Dark Energy Survey. \nBio: Jessie Muir is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo\, Ontario. Originally from Romeo\, Michigan\, a suburb of Detroit\, Jessie completed her undergraduate studies at Michigan State University\, masters work at the University of Cambridge as a Marshall Scholar\, and her PhD at the University of Michigan. She has previously done postdoctoral research as a Porat Fellow at Stanford University. Jessie works on research at the intersection of cosmology theory and data analysis with the goal of using measurements of the large-scale properties of the Universe to learn about fundamental physics. As part of the Dark Energy Survey scientific collaboration\, Jessie recently co-led the experiment’s analysis of galaxy clustering and weak gravitational lensing to test for physics beyond the standard cosmological model\, and has contributed to the development of strategies for protecting cosmology analyses from unconscious experimenter bias. \nJoin us on online using ZOOM: CLICK TO JOIN\nCampus Map (click to download)\nPark in lot P4 or P8.  Enter Building C10 (Recreation\, Athletics & Wellness Centre). Walk past the stairs to the elevator / staircase at the end of the hall.  Walk up one floor or take the elevator. You should see a bookstore.  Walk through the doors marked Print shop. At the Print Shop turn right and look for room 1142 on your right. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-mapping-the-dark-side-of-the-universe/ LOCATION:Room DV 1142 William Davis Building CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/dark_energy_survey.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230224T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230224T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20230113T161515Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230220T201157Z UID:2533-1677268800-1677276000@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Mississauga Centre Annual General Meeting DESCRIPTION:Speaker presentation – An Antarctic Adventure – Randy Attwood and Betty Robinson  8:00 pm \nThe AGM will follow this presentation. This will be a members only event as only members in good standing are allowed to vote at the AGM. \nPlease refer to the latest edition of Messenger for the Annual General Meeting’s Agenda\, minutes from the meeting a year ago\, the Secretary’s Report\, the Treasurer’s report and the announcement of the 2023 Council composition. \nhttps://rasc.optunia.me/members-benefits/messenger-newsletter/ \nAnnual General Meeting – 9:00 pm \nThis meeting will be held at UTM in room DV 1142 and on ZOOM – link to the meeting is here \n  URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/mississauga-centre-annual-general-meeting/ LOCATION:Room DV 1142 William Davis Building CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_0554-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230127T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230127T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20221212T183512Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230111T153809Z UID:2502-1674847800-1674853200@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Mission to Pluto: From Napkins to New Horizons DESCRIPTION:Mission to Pluto: From Napkins to New Horizons\nSpeaker: Max King\, University of Toronto\nIn July 2015\, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto\, photographing the last unexplored major body in our solar system. Taking over 25 years from its original conception to its phenomenal photographic fly-by\, New Horizons upended the space industry. We will explore the story behind the most unlikely expedition into our solar system\, the development of the mission from scrap paper to the spacecraft itself. \nWe will examine the unique challenges of spacecraft engineering\, the lasting impact this mission has made on our understanding of the solar system\, and how its unparalleled success marks the beginning of a new era in space exploration. \n\nJoin us on Zoom URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-space-exploration-and-spacecraft-design/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/32842320-4dcd-448f-9a98-30bc477c1430.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20221125T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20221125T213000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20221011T152824Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221118T235012Z UID:2459-1669404600-1669411800@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Adventures in Moongazing: Making the Most of Moonlit Nights DESCRIPTION:Chris will discuss his experiences while observing the moon: for fun\, for outreach\, and for completing RASC’s lunar observing programs. He’ll share observing tips and target suggestions\, and highlight some of the best books\, apps\, and web tools for exploring the moon from your driveway. \nCHRIS VAUGHAN is an award-winning Astronomer and Earth Scientist with a lifelong passion for visual astronomy. He operates the David Dunlap Observatory’s 1.88m telescope\, volunteers for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada\, hosts The Insider’s Guide to the Galaxy show on YouTube\, and visits schools and groups with his portable Digital Starlab planetarium. His weekly Astronomy Skylights blog at www.AstroGeo.ca is enjoyed by readers worldwide\, and he is a regular contributor to SkyNews magazine\, Space.com\, and several popular astronomy apps. In summer\, 2021 he co-authored the book\, 110 Things to See with a Telescope.” \nPlease note: This meeting will be on Zoom only.  Due to a resurgance of respiratory infections the next few meetings will be on-line only.  We will re-assess the situation in January. \nZoom Link URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-tba/ LOCATION:Zoom meeting CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/chris_vaughn.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20221028T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20221028T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20221011T151648Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221024T235647Z UID:2454-1666987200-1666994400@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Dr John Percy\, University of Toronto DESCRIPTION:October 28 Speaker Night: Prof. John Percy: Misconceptions about the Universe: From Everyday Life to the Big Bang \nA misconception is a belief that is strongly held but actually incorrect. In this profusely illustrated\, non-technical presentation\, Prof. Percy will provide a gentle overview of astronomy by touching on a wide variety of common misconceptions from everyday life (e.g.\, the cause of the seasons)\, about our solar system\, black holes\, UFOs\, and the Big Bang. Prof. Percy will emphasize the many causes of these misconceptions since these same causes are responsible for much of the other misinformation and “fake news” that is so rampant in today’s society. \nProf. Percy is an active Professor Emeritus in Astronomy & Astrophysics\, and in Science Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE-UT). He was a founding faculty member of the University of Toronto Mississauga in 1967 and retired from there in 2007. His research deals with the nature and evolution of stars as deduced from variable stars\, which change in brightness. He is a supervisor and mentor of undergraduate research students and is known internationally for encouraging and facilitating research in variable star astronomy by skilled amateur astronomers. Prof. Percy is deeply engaged in astronomy outreach: he gives courses for later-life learners and public lectures in libraries and other venues that explore the interdisciplinary nature of astronomy. He also promotes and supports the teaching of astronomy in schools. He was an inaugural recipient of the University of Toronto President’s Teaching Award in 2007 and the inaugural recipient of the Canadian Astronomical Society’s Qilak Award in 2012\, for excellence in communicating astronomy in Canada. Prof. Percy served as RASC National President from 1978 to 1980 and RASC Honorary President from 2013 to 2017. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-dr-john-percy-university-of-toronto/ LOCATION:University of Toronto – Mississauga Room DV2074 William G Davis Building CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/6a00e5509ea6a18834017d419e7e4c970c.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220909T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220909T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20220615T195606Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220815T153346Z UID:1952-1662753600-1662760800@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night DESCRIPTION:Speaker Night \nTopic James Webb Space Telescope URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/potpourri-meeting-14/ LOCATION:Zoom meeting CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/MASLOGOOVAL-RASC.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220527T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220527T213000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20220328T174306Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220523T165533Z UID:1849-1653679800-1653687000@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Dr Samantha Lawler DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr. Samantha Lawler\, University of Regina \nTitle: “Megaconstellations of satellites are about to ruin the night sky for everyone” \nAbstract:\nSeveral companies are starting to launch megaconstellations of thousands of communication satellites (satcons)\, which would increase the number of active satellites in Low Earth Orbit at least twenty-fold in the next few years.  SpaceX’s Starlink satcon is currently largest (over 2\,000 satellites) and is adding 60 new satellites every couple of weeks.  While these satcons do allow internet access in many underserved rural and remote locations\, the costs are prohibitively high for all but the most well-off customers.  These thousands of satellites each reflect sunlight\, causing serious problems for research astronomy\, and making anthropogenic light pollution a fully global phenomenon that cannot be escaped anywhere on Earth.  Our recent simulations show that because of geometry and the chosen satellite orbits\, latitudes near 50 degrees N and S will see the worst light pollution from these satcons\, with hundreds of naked-eye visible satellites all night long in the summer.  These satellites also contribute to significant atmospheric pollution\, both on launch and re-entry\, contribute to diffuse sky emission\, and drastically increase the very real threat of Kessler Syndrome.  I will talk about how these satellites will affect stargazers and astronomers worldwide\, and what you can do to help mitigation efforts. \nBio:\nSamantha Lawler studies the orbits of Kuiper Belt objects\, exoplanets\, and dust disks using optical and IR observations and dynamical simuations.  She completed her undergrad degree at Caltech\, followed by two years there working with early Spitzer Space Telescope data\, and then earned a Master’s degree from Wesleyan University.  She completed her PhD at UBC\, a postdoc at UVic\, and then a Plaskett Fellowship at NRC-Herzberg\, all while raising kids and getting slowly drawn further into farm life with her partner.  Somehow\, magically\, she found an amazing balance: she is now an assistant professor of astronomy at Campion College at the University of Regina\, and lives on a 150 acre farm where she helps raise goats\, chickens\, and organic vegetables with her partner and kids\, while enjoying and trying to protect the huge prairie skies. \nZoom link to meeting URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-dr-samantha-lawler/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Lawler500.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220422T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220422T213000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20220328T173135Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220328T173135Z UID:1844-1650655800-1650663000@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Dr Chris Impey DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr Chris Impey Steward Observatory\, University of Arizona    \nTopic: Astrobiology- How strange life might be? \nLife on Earth is found in surprising places: in high and arid deserts\, on the sea floor near volcanic vents\, and even deep within rock. The discovery of biological adaptation to extreme conditions makes it very likely that variations on biology will exist on moons and planets around many of the billions of Sun-like stars in the Milky Way. The talk addresses the issue of even more unusual forms of life\, where the biological basis may be different or unrecognizable. \nBIOGRAPHY: Chris Impey is a University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. He has 210 refereed publications on observational cosmology\, galaxies\, and quasars\, and his research has been supported by $20 million in NASA and NSF grants. He has won eleven teaching awards and has taught three online classes with over 350\,000 enrolled and 5 million minutes of video lectures watched. Chris Impey is a past Vice President of the American Astronomical Society\, and he has won its career Education Prize. He’s also been NSF Distinguished Teaching Scholar\, Carnegie Council’s Arizona Professor of the Year\, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. He has written 80 popular articles on cosmology\, astrobiology and education\, two textbooks\, a novel called Shadow World\, and nine popular science books: The Living Cosmos\, How It Ends\, Talking About Life\, How It Began\, Dreams of Other Worlds\, Humble Before the Void\, Beyond: The Future of Space Travel\, Einstein’s Monsters: The Life and Times of Black Holes\, and an upcoming book on exoplanets\, Worlds Without End. \nJoin Zoom Meeting URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-dr-chris-impey/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Impeyb500.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220325T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220325T213000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20220128T214353Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220129T134657Z UID:1795-1648236600-1648243800@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Dr JJ Kavelaars University of Victoria DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr JJ Kavelaars\, University of Victoria \nTopic: Exploring a new world on the Edge of the Solar System: New Horizons and Arrokoth. \n \nOn January 1st\, 2019 NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft executed a flawless encounter of the small world now known as Arrokoth.  Our understanding of the nature of the outer solar system and processes of planet formation have been transformed by the very first resolved images of this building block of planets.  The imaging and spectroscopy from Arrokoth have enabled a new understanding of planetesimals and their formation.  I will describe the processes that enable this historic encounter to occur and the science results from the spacecraft imaging.\n\nBIOGRAPHY: Born in London Ontario Canada\, Dr JJ Kavelaars is a Principle Research Officer at the National Research Council of Canada’s Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre where he has worked since 2002 and has been the Head of the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre since 2019.  Dr. Kavelaars searches the sky for outer solar system objects and has discovered dozens of satellites of the giant planets and over 1000 minor planets in the distant solar system.  He is a co-lead of the Canada-France Ecliptic Plan Survey and the Outer Solar System Origin Survey and co-Investigate on NASA New Horizons Kuiper Extended Mission.  Dr. Kavelaars has served on numerous national and international science committees\, organized science conferences and contributed chapters to review books.  He has co-authored over 100 peer reviewed science articles and his research has been cited by his peers over 4000 times.\n\nJoin the ZOOM meeting here. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-dr-jj-kavelaars-university-of-victoria/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kavelaars1200.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220225T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220225T213000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20220128T210426Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220221T183236Z UID:1785-1645817400-1645824600@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - 2021 Annual Meeting DESCRIPTION:2021 Annual Meeting \nDocuments for the annual meeting were published in the January 2022 issue of Messenger  \n(The Agenda\, the Minutes from the 2020 Annual Meeting\, 2021 Financials\, 2022 Council slate) \nThere will be a short talk before the Annual Meeting.  Centre members Shakeel Anwar\, Rick Veregin and Dennis Gasparatto will show a few of their favourite astrophotos. \nJoin the Zoom meting here. \n  URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-2021-annual-meeting/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/MASLOGOOVAL-RASC.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220128T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220128T213000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20211216T135730Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220125T154315Z UID:1766-1643398200-1643405400@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Dr. Lea Hirsch DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr Lea Hirsch\, University of Toronto – Mississauga \nHere Come the Suns: The statistics and habitability of planets in binary star systems  \n Most planet searches focus on single stars\, like the sun. But half of all sun-like stars actually live in binary or multiple stellar systems\, whose planet-hosting capability may be quite different. Although planets in binary systems are common in pop culture (think Tattoine in Stark Wars\, or Gallifrey from Doctor Who)\, we know far less about them empirically than their counterparts in single star systems. In binary systems\, planets can occupy either circum-stellar or circum-binary orbits\, but many orbital configurations are thought to be unstable due to the effects of the binary companion. Binaries are also thought to affect the proto-planetary disks of their companions\, potentially disrupting their ability to form planets at all.  \n In this talk\, I will describe the current state of our theoretical and observational knowledge of the occurrence rates and statistics of planets in binary star systems. I’ll also discuss efforts to simulate the habitability of planets in binaries\, which may pass in and out of the so-called habitable zone in their trajectories around one or both of the stars in their system. \n BIOGRAPHY: Lea Hirsch received her BA degree in Physics in 2012 from Cornell University\, and PhD in Astronomy in 2018 at the University of California Berkeley. She completed a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University before starting as an assistant professor in the teaching stream at University of Toronto Mississauga this fall.  Her PhD Dissertation was on ‘Planets in Binary Systems: Studies with Precise Radial Velocities and High Resolution Imaging’. She is author or co-author on 68 publications. Her research has taken her to telescopes like Lick\, Kitt Peak\, Keck\, and Gemini Observatories\, as well as far into the wild blue yonder aboard the SOFIA flying observatory! She is an avid climber\, hiker\, sewist\, and sci-fi fan in her spare time\, as well as participating in public outreach. \nhttps://www.utm.utoronto.ca/cps/people/lea-hirsch \nZoom link to the meeting URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-dr-lea-hirsch/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Lea-Hirsch_Web-profile-pic_preferred.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20211126T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20211126T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20210730T155601Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211122T185153Z UID:1648-1637955000-1637960400@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - John A. Read DESCRIPTION:Getting The Most Out Of Your Beginner Telescope \nJoin Nova Scotia author and astronomer John A. Read as we explore: \n\nThe three most popular RASC certificate programs.\nUsing a finder and a star map\, to find the required targets (star hopping 101).\n\n\n How to use that department store telescope sitting in your closet (we’ll explore three types).\n Using John’s stargazing books to track your progress and earn these RASC certificates.\n\n  \nJohn A. Read is a telescope operator at the Burke-Gaffney Observatory and a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC). \nIn 2020\, he graduated with an undergraduate degree in astrophysics from Saint Mary’s University and was presented with the RASC’s Simon Newcomb award for his collection of astronomy books for beginner observers. \nHis latest book\, 110 Things to See With a Telescope\, (a tour of the Messier objects)\, was released in August of this year. \nZoom link to the presentation. URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-john-a-read/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/John_Read_2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20211029T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20211029T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20210730T155508Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211006T151731Z UID:1646-1635535800-1635541200@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr Michelle Thaller\, Goddard Space Center\, NASA \nTalk: Space’s Scariest Monsters: Neutron Stars and Black Holes \nFor a Halloween treat\, come learn about the extremely scary afterlives of stars.  After the destruction of a supernova explosion\, the leftovers can become either a neutron star or a black hole.  These monsters can bend space and send time curing in front of our eyes\, and things that go bump in the dark can rip parts of the earth’s atmosphere off from thousands of light years away.  On a friendlier note\, our bodies contain bits of stellar corpses from stars that died billions of years ago -we’d be dead without them! \nDr. Michelle Thaller is an astrophysicist with over two decades of science communication experience. Her research involves the lifecycles of stars\, and she has worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory\, NASA Headquarters and the Goddard Space Flight Center\, where she is currently the liaison between the Office of Communication and the Science Directorate. Outside her work at NASA\, she has appeared in many television science programs\, including How the Universe Works and Space’s Deepest Secrets.  Michelle has done two TEDx talks about astronomy and has hosted the podcast Orbital Path on public radio. \n  \nHere is the link to the ZOOM presentation. \n  URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-9/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Thaller-500.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210924T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210924T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20210730T155015Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210921T004409Z UID:1637-1632511800-1632517200@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Dr Laurie Rousseau-Nepton DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr Laurie Rousseau-Nepton \nTitle: Learning about the Birth of Stars with SITELLE. \n \n\nTalk Abstract: October 2018 marked the beginning of a new large program at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope: SIGNALS\, the Star-formation\, Ionized Gas\, and Nebular Abundances Legacy Survey. During the next four years and with 60 nights of telescope time in hands\, our collaboration is observing more than 50\,000 extragalactic star-forming regions located in different galactic environments using the instrument SITELLE\, a Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrograph. In order to build this sample\, we cover 40 galaxies that are actively forming stars within a distance of 10 Mpc. SITELLE was build in Canada and is the perfect instrument to survey these often extended objets. \nWith SIGNALS\, we are seeking to increase our knowledge on how stars form in galaxies\, how their birthplace affects their properties\, and how multiple generations of stars transform galaxies. Stars continuously affect their environment by returning new elements to the interstellar gas. These new elements are then recycled to form new stars. Stars form in a wide variety of environments. These can be different galaxy to galaxy\, location to location. The result is that each star has its own story. By studying 50\,000 regions where stars actively form\, we will understand what triggers their formation\, how efficiently stars form\, and how each generation transforms the gas around them. This will also help researchers to understand the star-formation history of the whole Universe since the Big-Bang. During this presentation\, Laurie will introduce this ambitious project and the instrument SITELLE as well as share preliminary results.\n\nSpeaker Bio: Laurie Rousseau-Nepton is a resident astronomer at the Canada-France-Hawaii Observatory and was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hawaii between 2017 and 2019. First indigenous woman in Canada to obtain a PhD in astrophysics\, she received her diploma from Université Laval by studying regions of stellar formation in spiral galaxies. Laurie Rousseau-Nepton was a FRQNT postdoctoral scholarship recipient\, previously received the Hubert Reeves Fellowship and the Award for native women in sciences of the Association des femmes diplômées des universités du Québec. She is now leading an international project called SIGNALS\, aiming at observing thousands of newly born stars in galaxies close to the Milky Way to understand how their birthplace affect the rest of their life and the galaxies evolution. She is involved in Equity\, Diversity and Inclusion committees for the Canadian Association of Physicist and for the Maunakea Observatories and is devoted in promoting a community driven way to do science. \nJoin the Zoom meeting URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-8/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210528T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210528T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20210221T174845Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210523T174518Z UID:1393-1622230200-1622235600@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night DESCRIPTION:Speaker Night \nHost: Randy Attwood \nSpeaker: Dr Kim Tait\, Royal Ontario Museum \nKimberly Tait is a Curator of Mineralogy and oversees mineralogical\, gemmological and meteoritic research at the ROM. She is also a cross-appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology at the University of Toronto. \nTitle:  ROM Martian Meteorites and Mars Sample Return \nAlthough the ROM does have an exceptional martian meteorite collection\, there is still much to be learned about Mars. Dr. Kim Tait will discuss the goals of the Mars Sample Return Program\, and her role in the mission.  \nJoin the ZOOM meeting URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-7/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Southeast-Montgomery-20120320-00338.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210423T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210423T213000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20210219T154607Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210418T203919Z UID:1371-1619206200-1619213400@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Emily Carney\n  \nTitle:  Skylab: An Overview \nTalk Abstract:  Skylab\, which was crewed from 1973 to 1974\, enjoyed only a brief moment in the cultural zeitgeist (and\, of course\, infamously reentered over parts of Western Australia). While the United States’ first space station is often overlooked in the canon of space history\, this talk will discuss its origins from its “wet workshop” days to its legacy\, and direct descendant – the International Space Station (ISS)\, which still orbits above us.\nInformation about our speaker:\nEmily Carney is a spaceflight enthusiast and author hailing from Saint Petersburg\, Florida. Her first vivid space memory was seeing Columbia launch in late 1981 (STS-2). Even though she was very young (three years old) and the launch was 140 miles away from where she stood\, she’ll never forget it. From then on\, she was obsessed with the space shuttle\, and spaceflight in general.\nIn 1997\, Carney enlisted in the United States Navy\, and at one point worked as a nuclear propulsion mechanical operator aboard the USS George Washington (CVN 73). When she was honorably discharged in 2003\, she went back to college and earned a degree in education. She only taught for a brief time\, but after she left the education field\, her passion for spaceflight was reignited.\nCarney worked as a freelance writer from 2008 to 2011\, and during that time she started a spaceflight blog\, This Space Available (accessible via https://space.nss.org/category/this-space-available/). She also co-hosts a weekly podcast\, Space and Things\, with Dave Giles (https://spaceandthingspodcast.com/).\nIn 2011\, Carney wanted to start a Facebook group for space enthusiasts\, but was struggling to find a good name. Her husband\, Steve\, suggested “Space Hipsters” as sort of a sarcastic placeholder\, but the name stuck. The group grew more quickly than she could imagine\, and at present time it totals over 20\,000 members. Space Hipsters boasts members from all around the world\, and includes space enthusiasts\, writers\, artists\, scientists\, engineers\, aspiring astronauts\, and even a few actual astronauts.\nZoom link\n  URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-6/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Carney-Headshot-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210326T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210326T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20210219T150244Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210323T201219Z UID:1366-1616787000-1616792400@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night DESCRIPTION:Host: Randy Attwood \nSpeaker:  Mary Beth Laychak\, Director of Strategic Communications\, CFHT \nTalk Title: The Canada France Hawaii Telescope \nTalk Abstract:  The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope is a forty year old facility on the summit of Maunakea and consistently ranks among the world’s most astronomically productive.  Mary Beth Laychak\, director of strategic communications at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope shares the science\, instrument suite and staff of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope.  She will discuss how those pieces work together to create the magic that is CFHT. \nInformation about our speaker: Mary Beth Laychak is the Director of Strategic Communications at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on the Big Island of Hawaii. She also runs the Maunakea Scholars program\, an innovative astronomy outreach program for Hawaii public high school students. Mary Beth has an undergraduate degree in astronomy and astrophysics from Penn State University and a masters degree in educational technology from San Diego State. Her passions include astronomy\, sharing astronomy with the public\, astronomy based crafts\, and running. She lives in Waimea\, Hawaii with her husband and cat. \nZoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87010523603 URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-5/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/standingatCFHT-formatted.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210226T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210226T213000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20201208T190127Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210219T144043Z UID:1202-1614367800-1614375000@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night / Annual Meeting DESCRIPTION:Speaker Night \ntopic to be announced \n2020 Mississauga Centre Annual Meeting \n  URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-annual-meeting/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210129T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210129T210000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20201208T185940Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210126T141352Z UID:1198-1611948600-1611954000@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night DESCRIPTION:Title: The Mission of Apollo 14\nSpeaker: Randy Attwood \nJanuary 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the third successful lunar landing in the Apollo program. There was extra pressure on the crew of Apollo 14 to pull off a successful mission\, following on the aborted Apollo 13 mission nine months earlier. \n \nChanges were made to the Command-Service Module to prevent the same problems which occurred during Apollo 13. In spite of this\, there were three instances in the Apollo 14 mission where the successful landing was in doubt due to technical problems. Once on the lunar surface\, astronauts Shepard and Mitchell spent two days exploring the Fra Mauro highlands. They used a lunar hand-cart to help them carry tools during their long lunar walks. The final few minutes on the lunar surface\, one astronaut made use of a lunar six-iron and a few golf balls he had brought on the journey. \nJoin Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83890682815\nMeeting ID: 838 9068 2815\n+1 647 374 4685 Canada\n+1 647 558 0588 Canada URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-4/ CATEGORIES:Speaker Night END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20201127T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20201127T220000 DTSTAMP:20260419T151050 CREATED:20201021T152518Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201209T184022Z UID:1028-1606507200-1606514400@rasc.optunia.me SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Michael Daly DESCRIPTION:The OSIRIS-Rex Mission\nSpeaker: Dr Michael Daly Lassonde School of Engineering\, York University \nView this talk on YouTube \nTitle: Canada at Asteroid (101955) Bennu \nNASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission recently grabbed a sample from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu.  Bennu is a roughly 500m diameter carbonaceous asteroid. Canada contributed to this historic and scientific milestone with the contribution of one of the instruments on the mission.  The OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA) provided a global model of the asteroid with a resolution approaching 5cm.  This talk will provide an overview of the mission and its discoveries with an emphasis on the latest results from the OLA instrument. \nMichael Daly is a Professor\, York Research Chair holder\, and the Director of the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science in the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University.  He was the lead engineer for Canada’s first instruments to operate from the surface of Mars and is the lead scientist for the Canadian Laser Altimeter on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission.  Mike has been honoured as the recipient of  2018 CASI McCurdy award and the naming of asteroid (129973) Michaeldaly. \nJoin Zoom Meeting   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89461622317 URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-michael-daly/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:Speaker Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/orisis_res_and_bennu.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR