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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20230127T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20230127T210000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
CREATED:20221212T183512Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230111T153809Z
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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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20221125T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20221125T213000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20221028T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20221028T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220909T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220909T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220527T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220527T213000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220422T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220422T213000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220325T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220325T213000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220225T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220225T213000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220128T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220128T213000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20211126T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20211126T210000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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:20260419T164200
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210924T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210924T210000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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:20260419T164200
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210423T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210423T213000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210326T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210326T210000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20210226T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20210226T213000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
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:20260419T164200
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:20260419T164200
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20201113T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20201113T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
CREATED:20201021T151711Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201118T171555Z
UID:1025-1605297600-1605304800@rasc.optunia.me
SUMMARY:Speaker Night: Leslie J Sage
DESCRIPTION:Leslie J. Sage is an Astronomy Editor for NATURE magazine and Contributing Editor to the RASC JOURNAL (Second Light column) . \nTalk Title: My life with Nature Magazine \nView this talk on YouTube \nAbstract:  In mid-July 1993 I flew to London to start my new job as the astronomy editor of Nature. I spent almost six months in London\, then relocated to the Washington DC office\, where I have been for the past 27 years. I am also a senior visiting research scientist in the department of astronomy at the University of Maryland. I will talk about some of the highlights of my time at Nature\, which include handling papers that won Nobel Prizes in 2019 and 2020. Feel free to ask me about some of the lowlights. \nLeslie Sage grew up in Burlington Ontario (where he once played a hockey game against Wayne Gretzky!) He obtained his PhD in 1987 from Stony Brook University. He performed radio astronomy research at New Mexico Tech / NRAO and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. He has been the astronomy editor for NATURE since 1993\, a columnist for the RASC Journal since 1997 and the Press Officer for CASCA since 2010. \nTopic: MRASC Speaker Night Leslie Sage\nTime: Nov 13\, 2020 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/82460413249
URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-leslie-j-sage/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Speaker Night
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20201030T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20201030T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
CREATED:20200905T023837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201102T144143Z
UID:869-1604088000-1604095200@rasc.optunia.me
SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Gary Crawford
DESCRIPTION:From The Weird to the Inspired in the World of Archaeoastronomy\nView this talk on YouTube \nThis presentation introduces the great divide between pseudoscience and science that exists in the world of archaeoastronomy\, just as it does in other fields. Archaeology uses the material record excavated from sites such as Cahokia and Stonehenge\, information from architecture\, and well-informed cultural perspectives to learn the role played by the skies in particular cultures. We’ll pay particular attention to the indigenous Americas with examples from the “Old World” too. Unfortunately\, these well-informed perspectives are being drowned in the cacophony of Internet echo-chambers populated by flat-Earthers\, ancient aliens purveyors\, those who believe in mysterious mystical ancient societies like Atlantis\, and general conspiracy theories claiming that archeologists are hiding the truth. Are we? \n\nGary Crawford is an archaeologist and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He retired as of July 1st this year and is Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto Mississauga and a Research Associate at the Royal Ontario Museum. He specializes in archaeological botany (the relationship between plants and people in the past) and ancient human ecology\, particularly trying to understand why and how people developed agriculture.  For the last 45 years he has been investigating the problem in northeastern North America\, Japan\, and China. He introduced the formal study of archaeological botany to Japan and China where the field has become prominent over the last twenty years.\n\nHe has published two textbooks\, a monograph on Japanese archaeology\, hosted a television series on archaeology for TVOntario\, and has published widely in numerous science and archaeology journals. Prof. Crawford has served on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Heritage Foundation and dedicated over two decades serving the university community as the Chair of two departments (at different times)\, Associate Dean of Social Sciences at UTM\, and in an Acting capacity in several other administrative positions.\n\nHis interest in astronomy goes back to his younger years when he was a member of the RASC in his teens and when he started the astronomy club at his high school in Kingston\, Ontario. He has never lost interest in astronomy\, the stars always being one constant no matter where his travels took him. He is looking forward to developing his interest in the hobby now that he is retired.\n\n\nMore on Gary Crawford \nTo Attend this Virtual Meeting \nJoin Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82432867829 \nMeeting ID: 824 3286 7829 \nFor phone access only: \nOne tap mobile:\n+14388097799\,\,82432867829# Canada\n+15873281099\,\,82432867829# Canada \nDial by your location:\n+1 438 809 7799 Canada\n+1 587 328 1099 Canada\n+1 647 374 4685 Canada\n+1 647 558 0588 Canada\n+1 778 907 2071 Canada\n+1 204 272 7920 Canada \nMeeting ID: 824 3286 7829 \nFind your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdAaN5zn1a \n\n 
URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-3/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Speaker Night
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20201016T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20201016T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
CREATED:20200905T023724Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201027T135520Z
UID:867-1602878400-1602885600@rasc.optunia.me
SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Paul Delaney
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Professor Paul Delaney\, York University. \nTopic: “Water\, water everywhere?” \nView this talk on YouTube \nOur understanding of our own solar system has changed significantly since the advent of spacecraft exploration.  Water was once believed very scarce in our corner of the galaxy but we now realize this is not the case.  From understanding where our own planet’s water riches originated to the proliferation of the so called water worlds\, this presentation will discuss the evolution of this “sea change” in thinking and its implication for the search for life on exoplanets. \nPaul Delaney is a senior lecturer and professor of physics and astronomy at York University in Toronto. He is also the director of the Division of Natural Science within the Faculty of Science at York\, as well as the Master of Bethune College at York. He has his Master’s degree in science and has taught at York University since 1986. He earned his Bachelors in Science in Experimental Physics at the Australian National University in Canberra and his master’s degree in astronomy at the University of Victoria. \nPaul has been the recipient of many faculty of science and engineering awards at York University. One of his classes deals with the possibility of life on Mars. He is also the director of the observatory at the York University\, and its outreach program. In the past\, he has also worked as a nuclear physicist at the Atomic Energy of Canada\, and a support astronomer with the McGraw-Hill Observatory in Tucson\, Arizona. He holds both Australian and Canadian citizenship\, and resides in Simcoe County with his wife – whom he met while attending the University of Victoria – and their two sons. \nMore on Paul Delaney \nTo Attend this Virtual Meeting \nJoin Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85758315694 \nMeeting ID: 857 5831 5694 \nFor phone access only: \nOne tap mobile:\n+15873281099\,\,85758315694# Canada\n+16473744685\,\,85758315694# Canada \nDial by your location:\n+1 587 328 1099 Canada\n+1 647 374 4685 Canada\n+1 647 558 0588 Canada\n+1 778 907 2071 Canada\n+1 204 272 7920 Canada\n+1 438 809 7799 Canada \nMeeting ID: 857 5831 5694 \nFind your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbLiuM5tUd
URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night-2/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Speaker Night
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://rasc.optunia.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/paul_delaney.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200911T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200911T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
CREATED:20200905T022249Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201027T135403Z
UID:860-1599811200-1599861600@rasc.optunia.me
SUMMARY:Speaker Night - Robert J. Sawyer
DESCRIPTION:View this talk on YouTube \n\nSpeaker: Robert J. Sawyer\, Award winning Canadian Science Fiction Writer and Futurist. \nRobert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers ever to win all three of the world’s top awards for best science-fiction novel of the year: the Hugo\, the Nebula\, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. He has also won the Robert A. Heinlein Award\, the Edward E. Smith Memorial Award\, and the Hal Clement Memorial Award; the top SF awards in China\, Japan\, France\, and Spain; and a record-setting sixteen Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards (“Auroras”). His latest novel—his 24th—is The Oppenheimer Alternative. \nRob’s novel FlashForward was the basis for the ABC TV series of the same name\, and he was a scriptwriter for that program. He also scripted the two-part finale for the popular web series Star Trek Continues. \nHe is a Member of the Order of Canada\, the highest honor bestowed by the Canadian government\, as well as the Order of Ontario\, the highest honor given by his home province; he was also one of the initial inductees into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. \nRob lives just outside Toronto. His website and blog are at sfwriter.com\, and on Facebook\, Twitter\, and Patreon he’s RobertJSawyer.\n\nWebsite: https://sfwriter.com\nPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/robertjsawyer\nFacebook: https://facebook.com/robertjsawyer\nTwitter: https://twitter.com/robertjsawyer (@RobertJSawyer) \nMore about The Oppenheimer Alternative is here: https://sfwriter.com/exoa.htm
URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/speaker-night/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Speaker Night
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200620T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200620T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T164200
CREATED:20200409T014149Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201027T135726Z
UID:488-1592683200-1592690400@rasc.optunia.me
SUMMARY:Randy Attwood: Apollo 13 – The Flight That Failed
DESCRIPTION:View this talk on YouTube \nFifty 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\, the speaker will detail all the things which had to go right to save the Apollo 13 crew. \nAbout Randy: \nJ. Randy Attwood is a resident of Mississauga and has been looking up at the night sky for nearly 50 years. He joined the The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 1970. He was President of the Toronto Centre 1982 – 1986\, Society National President 1998 – 2000\, the founder\, a Past-President and Honorary President and currently President of the Mississauga Centre. He was the Society’s Executive Director and Publisher of SkyNews magazine from 2014 – 2019. \nFor more information\, please see the Earthshine notice
URL:https://rasc.optunia.me/event/randy-attwood-apollo-13-the-flight-that-failed/
LOCATION:Davis Building – Room SE2074\, 1867 1C6\, Inner Cir Rd\, Mississauga\, Ontario\, L5L 1C6\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Speaker Night
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