On February 15th, a small asteroid plunged into Earth’s atmosphere over Russia, causing damage and injuries. Nobody saw it coming. The same day, astronomers expected asteroid 2012DA14 to make a very close, but harmless, approach to Earth. Both events captured media attention worldwide. It was an educational opportunity not to be missed!

Kate Fane

Since his launch into orbit, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has become a total media sensation. Whether tweeting William Shatner or writing rock songs with a member of the Barenaked Ladies, Hadfield has jumped on social media to spread his message to a whole new audience.

Today marks the centenary the Great Meteor Procession (GMP), the most spectacular meteor procession on record. The meteors crossed a quarter of the Earth's circumference, and many of the observers whose impressions contributed to the fundamental scientific report on the event were Canadian. The iconic image of the GMP was painted by RASC member and professional artist Gustav Hahn (1866-1962). To mark the centenary of the event NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) features the century-old reproduction of Hahn's painting from the RASC Archives.