Sunny with a chance of electron precipitation: Space Weather and what it means to you

Speaker: Don Hampton, Research Associate Professor
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks

RASC Vancouver

Bio:

Don is a Research Faculty member at the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks. He received an undergraduate degree in Physics at U. Texas, Austin, and Masters and PhD at UAF. He worked 10 years at Ball Aerospace, including as a systems engineer on the instruments for the NASA Deep Impact project to comet Tempel I. He returned to UAF in 2006 and have been working on aspects of aurora research, primarily in optics, but also using radar, satellite and sounding rocket data.

Abstract:

Not only does the sun power our biological and climate world, it also affects the geospace above our atmosphere, by creating an electrically charged region called the ionosphere, drive the aurora and create what is now known as Space Weather. In this talk you will learn about the sources (spoiler alert, it’s the sun), and consequences of space weather and how we study it and try to predict its consequences.

About our Events:

All RASC lectures and observing events are open to the public, family friendly, and there is no charge for admission. Our organization is run entirely by volunteers who love astronomy and astrophysics. Whether you're a complete beginner, a seasoned astronomer, or you hope to work for NASA some day, anyone fascinated by space exploration is welcome and will enjoy our events

Join this event via Zoom on Thursday January 13th, 2021 @ 7:30 pm PST (10:30 EST). 

A Special Evening for Aspiring Astrophotographers - Deep-Space Astrophotography: Proven Methods for Better Images

Speaker: Trevor Jones (AstroBackyard)

RASC Mississauga

Description: Trevor will explain how he has been able to collect better images from the city than he thought were possible. From recommended filters to advanced processing techniques, see why APOD-worthy images are possible from the backyard.

BIOGRAPHY: Trevor Jones, also known as AstroBackyard, is an experienced amateur astrophotographer and content creator who shares his years of experience and knowledge with others to help improve their skills in astrophotography.  Before AstroBackyard, Trevor spent many years as a graphic designer, marketer and creative director and has since used these skills to create a brand around the hobby of astrophotography. Trevor is known for his beginner-level approach to explaining astrophotography and has been involved in the greater community as a photography contest judge, public speaker and dark-sky advocate.Trevor is from Niagara, Ontario Canada and enjoys camping with his family and running. For more information visit astrobackyard.com or follow AstroBackyard Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter @AstroBackyard.

This talk will take place on Friday January 14th, 2022 @ 7:30 pm EST.

Join Via Zoom HERE!

Up in the Sky

RASC Toronto Centre - David Dunlap Observatory 

Saturday, January 15, 2022 | 7:00-8:30 PM EST | Online
Register Here! 
Join us, from the comfort of your home! This program provides an illustrated one-hour presentation and discussion about what exciting celestial events to look for each season. The events and phenomena will be explained using simple language, with recommendations about how best to observe and photograph them. Only one registration per household is required. Deadline to register for this program is Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 3pm.
 

Ask an Astronomer

RASC Toronto Centre - David Dunlap Observatory 

Sunday, January 16, 2022 | 1:00-2:00 PM EST | Online
Register Here! 
 Explore the Universe - from the comfort of your home! During these family-friendly sessions, a DDO Astronomer will answer your questions about the observatory, astronomy and space, telescopes, and the motions of the sky using powerful astronomy software and eye-catching visuals! Only one registration per household is required. Deadline to register for this program is Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 3pm.
 

Venus Revealed: the Past, Present and Future Exploration of Earth’s Twin Planet

Presented by Dr. David Grinspoon

RASC Calgary Centre

Summary:
From the beginning of history, Venus, the brightest planet in the sky, has been an object of human worship and wonder. In the space age it has become a destination for exploration – the nearest other planet to Earth – and a likely example of a once Earth-like planet with a climate that has evolved in a very different direction.  Beneath the cloudy atmosphere lies a volcanic surface with many intriguing parallels to the geology and climate of our own world. Recent models results suggest that Venus may have had a habitable surface environment for much of its history. When, how and why did Venus change from a more Earthlike place to the hot, forbidding world that we find today? Could there have been life there at one time, and what might have happened to it when the climate changed so drastically? Several new spacecraft missions to Venus have recently been selected for flight in the coming decade, so we will soon have new ways to test these ideas about our still-mysterious neighbor planet.

Bio:
David Grinspoon, Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, is an astrobiologist who studies the possible conditions for life on other planets and the human influence on Earth. He has been on spacecraft teams for several interplanetary missions. In 2013, he served as inaugural NASA Chair in Astrobiology at the United States Library of Congress. He is the author of several popular books and has been awarded the Carl Sagan Medal for Public Communication of Planetary Science by the American Astronomical Society. He has appeared widely on television and radio and acted as frequent co-host for StarTalk Radio. Currently he is a Co-Investigator on NASA’s upcoming DAVINCI mission to Venus.
 

This talk is on January 20th, 2022 @ 7:30 pm MST (9:30 om EST)

Join the talk via Zoom HERE!

Passcode: 424643

Celebrate Canadian Space Exploration: Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the First Canadian Woman in Space

RASC Montreal

On the 30th anniversary of the first Canadian woman in space - Dr. Roberta Bondar, join RASC Montreal Centre and Guelph Physics on Saturday, Jan 22nd at 7pm EST for an event focused on the celebration of this milestone. RASC I&D Chair Virginia Rufina Marquez-Pacheco will share how Dr. Bondar's training prepared her for the mission aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (becoming the 1st Canadian woman & 1st neurologist in space), her work afterwards to study the effects of space on astronauts... and a discussion on Dr. Bondar's current philanthropic work. Plus, our former RASC Montreal Centre President Katherine Dulong will talk about a current CSA (Canadian Space Agency) project she's been working on: Feeding Future Astronauts. 

This event will be shared live on both YouTube channels: RASC Montreal or Guelph Physics

The Saturday RASC Montreal Centre Zoom Clubhouse will start after the event, join via this LINK!

Stay tuned for information about next month's Public Event: Perseverance - 1 year on Mars, by Dr. Erin Gibbons

Sunday Sungazing

RASC Toronto Centre - David Dunlap Observatory 

Sunday, January 23, 2022 | 12:30-1:00 PM EST | Online
Register Here! 
Safely observe the sun with us, from the comfort of your home! During these family-friendly sessions, a DDO Astronomer will answer your questions about our closest star: the sun! Learn how the sun works and how it affects our home planet. Live-streamed views of the sun through small telescopes will be included, weather permitting. Only one registration per household is required. Deadline to register for this program is Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 3p.m.
 

Introduction to Stargazing and the Universe

RASC Edmonton

Topics discussed: Satellites; Constellations; Moon Maria; Pleiades; Sky angles; Q&A

Find out what you can see in the night sky and earn RASC's free Explore the Universe certificate and pin! Once a month we have a low intensity 45 minute presentation followed by Q&A. It’s ok if you missed the previous sessions, they’re self-contained (and recorded).

Join via Zoom on Wednesday, January 26th, 2022 @ 7:30 pm MST

Here Come the Suns: The statistics and habitability of planets in binary star systems 

Speaker: Dr Lea Hirsch, University of Toronto - Mississauga

RASC Missisauga

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. 

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.

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.

This talk will take place Friday January 28th, 2022 @ 7:30 pm EST,

Join via Zoom HERE!