Outreach

Two people at the Dunlap Institute devote a large part of their time (40% or more) to Public Engagement: our Lecturer Mike Reid and our media person Johannes Hirn.

Our researchers also commit a significant fraction of their time to Outreach.

Our work is greatly enhanced through collaborations with people involved in outreach in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, in the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, the David Dunlap Observatory, the Ontario Science Centre, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and the 99 branches of the Toronto Public Library.
Send an e-mail to Mike Reid about Education or Public Outreach, or call him in his office at 416-978-0307. Send an e-mail to Johannes Hirn about Media or Communications, or call him in his office at 416-978-6613.

Launch of universe.utoronto.ca

A New Website for the Public

Together with the other two Astronomy units at the University of Toronto, we have set up a common portal for non-scientists to get in touch with us.

But universe.utoronto.ca is not just a new website, it is also a whole set of activities for the public:
  • Small groups can set up a Video Chat and ask questions to one of our experts,
  • Classrooms can book Live Planetarium Shows for a fee,
  • Larger groups can even request that one of our scientists come and deliver Public Talk.
Our goals are to share the thrill of discovery with the public, and to give people a chance to talk to real astronomers about the latest scientific advances.

To mark this launch, we'll kick of this year's Outreach Program by hosting two free book talks by internationally-renowned science writers Dava Sobel and Stuart Clark in October.

Their upcoming books bring History to life by blending fiction and non-fiction to fill the gaps in our historical accounts of the lives of Galileo and others.

This is all happening thanks to financial support from the Dunlap Institute, as well as the hard work of its members and those of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and CITA here at UofT.

Archive of Public Talks

For those of you who couldn't make it, we've recently started recording the Free Public Talks organized by the graduate students in Astronomy at UofT.

Most of the talks are given by UofT astronomers — graduate student, post-docs or professors— some of them from the Dunlap Institute.

If you can't see the Flash slideshow below, please go to this Video Channel.

Monthly Public Tours

Public Lectures

On the evening of the first Thursday of most months, two of the Astronomy graduate students run the show on our downtown Toronto campus.

Jamil Shariff and Ilana MacDonald give you an hour with a young researcher —enough to answer all your questions about black holes and 2012, or to give you an idea of life in Antarctica.

Because the speakers themselves are often students, they still remember how hard it is to get your head around these concepts the first time.

Ilana and Jamil also coach their crew, so they think anybody can follow these talks, and they encourage everyone to attend them.


Telescope Observing

On the first Thursday of most months, you can access our rooftop observatory, thanks to the dedication of about a dozen Astronomy graduate students.

They will be your guides, pointing the telescopes in the right direction for you, and explaining why the objects you see are the way they are.

But remember: one thing our crew cannot control is the weather. And because optical telescopes don′t let you to see through the clouds, you should check the weather forecast.

You will also need to dress according to the outside temperature, because the telescope domes are not heated in winter and not conditioned in summer.

Interactive Planetarium

In our basement in downtown Toronto, and hooked to a joystick, are a computer and a projector inside a dark inflatable igloo.

This gear allows Mike Williams —and the crew of Teaching Assistants he has trained— to fly students, visitors and schoolchildren (25 of them at a time) through the Universe.

Along the way, the audience gets an idea of how the Universe all works and fits together.

The software and joystick make for an interactive experience, as the show can be modified on the fly

Over 2,000 people have already been through the experience, and so can you, if you book a free seat for a show during the next Public Tour!