astronomer

You may have heard the joke by now: "How do you organize a solar eclipse party? You planet."But you could also let someone plan it for you.And throughout the Hamilton-Niagara region — home to some of the best areas in Canada to see the total solar eclipse on April 8 — there are plenty of options.That day, people across the continent will see the moon pass between the sun and the Earth. In some places, it will partially block out the sun. But in others — including Hamilton, Burlington, Ont., Six Nations, Ont., and the…

This year, outer space is going to be a busy place.We've got the launch of the Europa Clipper, which will orbit one of Jupiter's enigmatic moons and investigate whether it could harbour conditions suitable for life; we could cheer on the first Canadian to orbit the moon; and we're getting a total solar eclipse that will be visible across eastern Canada.Here are just some exciting events to look forward to in 2024.Meteor showersAs always, the year starts off with the annual Quadrantid meteor shower, which is pretty…

ISRO, NASA, ESA and other space agencies have been in the news for a plethora of amazing launches that will serve to shed new light o the Universe. In fact, the Indian space agency ISRO, launched the XpoSat satellite yesterday to study black holes, Magnetars and more. Know how you too can get into stargazing.(The Conversation) There are few things more peaceful and relaxing than a night under the stars. Through the holidays, many people head away from the bright city lights to go camping. They revel in the dark skies,…

While the unaided eye or binoculars can reveal much of the night sky, a telescope reveals so much more. Seeing Saturn's rings or the Moon's craters with your own eyes can be an “oh wow” moment. However, choosing the right telescope can be tricky. There are telescopes with lenses and telescopes with mirrors.Telescopes that are moved by hand and others that are electronically controlled. Telescopes also come in a range of sizes, with a trade-off between light-gathering power, portability and price. While there's much to…

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to [email protected]. Why are there small and big black holes? Also, why are some black holes invisible and others have white outlines? – Sedra and Humaid, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Black holes are dense astronomical objects with gravity so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape.…

At 30 years old, Michelle Kunimoto already has more than 3,000 planet candidates under her belt.Inspired by science fiction and curiosity, the University of British Columbia astronomy graduate is passionate about searching for exoplanets — bodies orbiting stars outside our own solar system.She's currently leading a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) hunting for them. In 2024, Kunimoto will return to her alma mater as an assistant professor in UBC's department of physics and astronomy."She is an…

The Current13:00Turning deep space data into musicMusic can often transport you to another time and place. But now a Montreal composer is bringing listeners far out into the cosmos with a piece of music created from NASA's data on the Milky Way."At the end of the piece, especially … I'm focusing in on the black hole that's at the centre of the galaxy. And you get this feeling of stars spiralling toward the centre," said Sophie Kastner, composer of Where Parallel Lines Converge."I wanted to have all of these pingy, like,…

Three New Brunswickers are enjoying an astronomical surprise: an asteroid has been named after them.It's called Mipach — using the first two letters from the names of Saint Johners Mike Powell, Paul Owen and Chris Curwin."I saw the email and the other two guys hadn't seen it yet. So I was frantically on the phone and messaging them back and forth, getting them to take a look. So it was just overwhelming," Curwin said.The asteroid is 6.37 kilometres in diameter and resides in the main belt, between the orbit of Mars and…

An amateur astronomer in Japan has captured video of a comet crashing into Jupiter. A tweet sharing the video was posted earlier this month, and it shows a bright flash against the planet as a super-bright comet, or bolide as these objects are known, crashes into the gas giant. It’s a quick flash that passes quickly, but it’s still really nice to see it captured on video. Of course, Jupiter isn’t the only planet that these super-bright comets crash into. We also see these fireballs crash into Earth, though…

Cecilia Payne was in her early 20s when she figured out what the stars are made of. Both she and her groundbreaking findings were ahead of their time. Continuing the legacy of women working at the Harvard College Observatory, Payne charted the way for a generation of female astronomers to come. This episode of the Lost Women of Science Shorts follows Payne’s journey of discovery, chronicles her drive and determination against all odds and takes you to the Harvard College Observatory itself to walk in her footsteps.…