Should J.S. Plaskett be a Canadian Icon?

By Peter Broughton

John Stanley Plaskett (1865-1941) was one of our country’s first professional scientists, and our first astrophysicist. After getting his start in 1905 with modest equipment at the Dominion Observatory in Ottawa, he soon persuaded the federal government to establish an observatory (the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory) on the west coast. In spite of World War I, the project was completed in 1918 and it housed the world’s largest operating telescope at the time. With it, he discovered a record-breaking massive star, established the wide-spread presence of interstellar gas, and accurately pinned down the rotation rate of our home galaxy—the Milky Way. Though he was showered with recognition and awards by his colleagues, few Canadians know anything about him. Do you wonder why?

Date: Thursday, January 28th, 2021

Time: 7:30pm EST

Register here! The webinar will also be live-streamed to the RASC YouTube Channel.