Join amateur and professional astronomers for a week full of outdoor observing and special indoor astronomy activities. For more information, call the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's Toronto Centre Information Line at 777-****.
Ontario Science Centre
SOLAR OBSERVING, TELESCOPE MIRROR GRINDING, ASTRONOMY DISPLAYS AND DEMONSTRATIONS
Saturday, May 2, 11:00 am-5:00 pm
Day-long family activities at the Science Centre will feature hands-on telescope mirror grinding demonstrations, displays of astronomical telescopes and books, computers running astronomy software and, if it's clear, safe solar viewing through specially-fillered telescopes. Included with admission
STAR NIGHT (Only if Clear)
Saturday, May 2, 8:30 pm-11:00 pm
Join amateur astronomers for an evening of stargazing in the park at the southwest corner of Don Mills and Eglinton. To check if it's clear enough to observe, call the RASC Info Line, 777-****, at 7 pm. Free admission and parking.
"BLINDED BY THE LIGHT"
Coping with light Pollution in Toronto — a special RASC Members' Night
Friday, May 8, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Learn how amateur and professional astronomers are dealing with the increasing levels of background skyglow in Toronto. Topics will include: city observing for beginners-looking for the objects that are still visible in our urban skies; the growth of light pollution in the last two decades and how astronomy groups are trying to stop it; and using advanced technology such as CCDs and image enhancement to recreate some of the views that we've lost. This is a regularly scheduled meeting of the Toronto Centre of the RASC and is free to the public. It will take place in the auditorium. Parking and admission to the Science Centre are free after 5 pm on Friday nights.
How 10 get there: The Ontario Science Centre is located on the west side of Don Mills Road just south of Eglinton Ave. There is flat-rate parking available and access to all of the daytime activities on Saturday, May 2 is included with admission.
EGLlNTON EAST34/34B buses run east from Eglinton station to Don Mills Road and DON MILLS 25/25C buses run north from Pape Station.
York University
OBSERVATORY OPEN HOUSE
Wednesday, May 6 and Saturday, May 9, 8:30 pm-11:00 pm
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at York University has an observatory on the York campus featuring 12" and 24" reflectors. The Petrie Observatory will be open this Wednesday and Saturday evening offering tours, audio-visual presentations and if it's clear,telescope viewing including the popular Shoot the Moon program.
How to get there: The Petrie Observatory is located on the north side of the Petrie Sciences building on York campus. The closest street entrance is North West Gate off Steeles Ave. West (between Jane and Keele). Flat-rate parking is available on lot 5A just off North West Gate from which it's a short walk to the observatory. STEELESWEST 60/60B buses run west from Finch station and stop at North West Gate.
University of Toronto
OBSERVATORY OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, May 9th: ~ 8:30 pm-11:00 pm ~
The Department of Astronomy at the University of Toronto has an observatory located on top of Burton Tower on the St. George campus rn featuring an 8" refractor and a 16" reflector. The observatory and outdoor observation deck will be open this evening featuring tours, demonstrations of astronomical image processing and, if it's clear, viewing through the telescopes.
How to get there: Access to the downtown observatory is from the 14th floor of the McLennan Physical Laboratories building located at 60 St. George St. just north of Russell St. Parking is available on-street (free) and on the university campus (free after 9 pm). The CARLTON 506 streetcar runs along College St. and stops at St. George, and the Queen's Park subway is just a few minutes away.
McLaughlin Planetarium
"EXPLORING THE SKY"
A Family Stargazing Workshop
Saturdays, May 2 and 9, and Sunday; May 3, 11:00 am-12:00 noon
This live workshop in the Star Theatre shows children and adults how to spot the constellations and planets of spring and to use a star map. Included with admission.
SOLAR OBSERVING (Only if Clear)
Sunday, May 3, 12:00 noon-4:00 pm
Join amateur astronomers on the Planetarium plaza in viewing the sun through solar-filtered telescopes Free.
STARLAB PLANETARIUM
Sunday, May 3, 12:00 noon-4:30 pm
Crawl into an inflatable planetarium with your children and learn aboul the stars with Cathy McWatters as your guide. Continuous showings in the ROM SE atrium. Free tickets at the main info desk. Included with admission.
METEOR-RIGHTS AND METEOR-WRONGS
Sunday, May 3, 12:30 pm-4:00 pm
Join Terri Ottaway of the ROM's Mineralogy Dept. in the Astrocentre for a demonstration and hands-on workshop in meteorite identification. Included with admission.
ORIGAMI STAR-MAKING WORKSHOPS
Sunday, May 3, 1:00 pm-4:30 pm
Make sparkling origami stars in these craft workshops designed especially for children. Running continuously in the ROM SE Atrium, free tickets for individual sessions will be available at the main information desk. Included with admission.
STARGAZING WORKSHOP
Monday, May 4, 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Learn to identify the stars, constellations and other celestial bodies in this active one-evening Star Theatre session. Star maps are provided. Admission.
ASTRONOMY TOURS
Tuesday-Friday, May 5-8, 2:00 pm
Join a guide in the Astrocentre for a conducted tour of the gallery and a fascinating introduction to the universe. Included with admission.
How to get there: The Planetarium is located on the west side of Queen'sPark (Avenue Road) just south of Bloor St. There is no parking at the Planetarium but there are several parking lots in the Bloor and Avenue Road vicinity and the Museum subway stop is right at the door.
ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA - TORONTO CENTRE
Two summer public star nights will be held on July 6 and August 4 at both Morningside Park in Scarborough and Humber Bay Park West in Etobicoke. For more information on these programs, membership or the current schedule of meetings, call the RASC Info Line at 777-****.
McLAUGHLlN PLANETARIUM
Catch one of the ongoing star shows: IMPACT! Asteroids, Comets and Cosmic Collisions. until June 21; Stories of the Night Sky, indefinite run; Searching for Extraterreslrial Life, from June 26 to November 8. Call 586-5736 for more information on show times and prices.
ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE Stargazing Evening, August 30
Travel to a conservation area outside the city for an outdoor twilight talk followed by skywatching through telescopes. Call 429-4100 for details.
DAVID DUNLAP OBSERVATORY, University of Toronto, Richmond Hill
Free tours and viewing through the 74" telescope on Saturday nights from April 11 to October 3. Call 884-2112 for reservations.
YORK UNIVERSITY
Free tours and viewing through the 12" and 24" telescopes on every Wednesday night of the year (except April and October). Take photographs of the moon and planets with your 35mm SLR camera in the popular Shoot the Moon program. Call 736-2100 ext. 77773 for more details.
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