Allan I Carswell Observatory Presents: York Universe

This Week in Space and Astronomy History is all about our solar system! Join this week's host's Professor Mary-Helen Armour and Paul Mackin as they discuss history of solar system exploration from the first images of the Moon to the exploration of Mars and beyond!  Image Credit: The Moon imaged by the Allan I. Carswell Observatory 1m telescope

Have you ever wondered what Canadian astronomers are studying? This episode discusses recent discoveries by Canadian astronomers on Saturn's moons and upcoming research with the James Webb Space Telescope. The host's Sunna Withers and Paul Mackin also discuss some astronomy history including a remarkably bright Gamma Ray Burst and the Voyager missions.  Image credit: Sunna Withers

Did you know that there will be a TOTAL Lunar Eclipse this March 13th, 2025? Join Dr. Elaina Hyde and Parisa Nozari for an episode of eclipse history, moon news, and of course some event tips for this March 13th, 2025 event. Those joining the observatory YouTube can enjoy some live moon images. The live event recording is at YouTube YorkUObservatory Image Credits: AICO, 1m Moon imaging, Camila Guz...

600th episode spectacular, join us for a Saturn deep dive as we explore our mysterious distant cousin and its disappearing rings. Hosts Dr. Elaina Hyde, Professor Paul Delaney, Paul Mackin, Sunna Withers and Julie Tomé explore the 6th planet, its rings, and a few of its fascinating moons. Episode photo credit: AICO, 1m telescope

Crashes and launches abound in this set of astronomy history and news. Join Dr. Elaina Hyde and Sunna Withers for some crash landings on Venus, the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the Moon and Earth as well as a 'near miss' in the future as asteroid 2024 YR4 continues to get it's orbital parameters refined. Image credit: Venera 14 view of the surface of Venus: lava plates March 5, 1982. This imag...

Do you enjoy the winter weather? Put on your snow parka, grab some mittens and join Dr. Elaina Hyde and Paul Mackin for an icy hike through the outer reaches of our own solar system. It's colder than Canada, but well worth exploring! Image credit: Pluto, as imaged from the AICO 1m telescope at York University, 2022, Sunna Withers/AICO

This episode sees our astronomers revisit some famous historical telescopes as well as one planned for the future. Join Dr. Elaina Hyde and Paul Mackin for fun facts about the Hale, Keck, and Hubble as well as the (for now) future Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Image Credit: Allan I Carswell Observatory 1m telescope, 2022, E.A. Hyde/AICO

This episode covers some fun detections and discoveries from this week in history, including the  Satarian Moon Epimetheus, the 'Hoth' exoplanet, the rocketeering of Robert Goddard , the 'moon' Pasiphae and more. We also discuss a few news items and the dissolution of the comet Atlas. The hosts for this episode are Dr. Elaina Hyde and Paul Mackin. Image credit: 2025-01-22 1m telescope, object: Min...

Join our director Dr. Elaina Hyde and special Guest Prof. Jeremy Webb for a planetary extravaganza covering Uranus and Neptune (this week in history). As an extra, we will also discuss a few fun events and tips for outreach with Prof. Webb and look at the recent end to the GAIA spacecraft mission. The website for Prof. Webb can be found here:  https://www.yorku.ca/science/profiles/faculty/jeremy-w...

This episode we look at amazing flybys in history, covering Mercury, Uranus, Pluto and Saturn's moon Titan. A special welcome to new host Paul Mackin. We also have special guest Majid Naji to talk about his astronomer in residence tenure at Killarney Park with the Allan I Carswell Observatory and to share some tips. Image credit: The planet Uranus: imaged by the Malincam at the AICO 1m, 2023 11 11

Special guest Brendan O'Brien of the Astrophiz podcast joins Dr. Elaina Hyde and Julie Tomé for a conversation about all things space and astronomy down under! Learn about Woomera and what has landed there, the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station, radio astronomy and all its various antennae, and science communication. Brendan's podcast can be found at: https://astrophiz.com/ Image credit: One of t...

This exciting episode features a tall glass of JWS-T, as discussed by our host Elaina Hyde with special guest Ethan Siegel. Join us for a journey through time and space to one of the most interesting telescopes of this decade! For some more great JWST discussion see our guests' new book "Infinite Cosmos: Visions From the James Webb Space Telescope" which can now be found at all major publishers. E...

Observations past, present and future. Join Parisa Nozari and Dr. Elaina Hyde for a journey through stargazing, radio astronomy, optical astronomy and meteor showers. We discuss this week in space history as we look to the skies for interesting observational targets and we talk about upcoming astronomical events as well. Image Credit: Messier Object M16,  Zachary Sharp, AICO, 2024

Investigate Space Debris with Dr. Elaina Hyde and Parisa Nozari as we discuss a history of things coming down, and some recent news from the Dragonfly mission, SpaceX and more! The more space junk we have, the higher the danger for astronauts… and earth based humans too. image credit: AICO Killarney Park Astronomer in Residence 2024 Sunna Withers and Anna Skrinnik took this lovely sky image showin...

Julie Tomé and Mary-Helen Armour discuss overlooked events and people like the second moon, the first African American astronomer, and the astronomer whose work Edwin Hubble's built on. In news: a new measurement of the Hubble Constant and some interesting science performed on a meteorite found in a drawer at a university. Episode image credite: Sunna Withers/AICO

This episode is a dive into science and science fiction with space launches from the past. We travel through the 70s (and a bit of the 50s) with space launches from Mariner, Voyager, Pioneer, and more. Join Elaina and Mary-Helen for this literal blast into space! Image credit: NASA, The  Voyager 1  aboard the  Titan III/Centaur  lifted off on September 5, 1977, joining its sister spacecraft, the ...

Join Sunna and Elaina for a spooky journey into exploded stars in the forms of supernovae and creepy comets. We discuss some of the astronomical history of Halloween, a few famous events, a few dead comets, and of course the most recent supernova from JWST. Image Credit: A live view of Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS from AICO 1m on 16 October 2024. E.A. Hyde, AICO. The mini livestream can be found her...

The sun is at solar maximum and we have a slew of hot stars to cover. Join Julie and Elaina for a stellar trip down memory lane as we talk about stars in the Milky Way, strangeness and new stars with strange properties. Episode art: GPX 1b - exoplanet, image credit Nakul Sethuram, AICO, 2024

Robin Metcalfe takes the host chair and gathers former players of York University Faculty of Science softball teams IR Sox, the Expose and Comets in an exploration of career paths that a degree in science at York University can take you. Episode art: Warren Fisher  

This episode is a 'sandwich' of co-hosts, Robin and Ryan both talk about their Astronomer in Residence experience out at Killarney Park (with the AICO), and we discuss viewing and comets, in particular the upcoming comet A3 and the discovery by Maria Mitchell back in 1847. Image Credit: C2023/E1 Green Comet, 1m, AICO, EHyde

Gagan Sidhu and Sunna Withers discuss important Canadian and Ontario space history, and current news including new images from JWST and the Starliner. Image Credit: 2021 Mars 1m Malincam, AICO, June Parsons.

Julie Tomé and Dr Elaina Hyde discuss all the moons! Moon discoveries around Saturn, lunar missions, the next lunar eclipse and a temporary mini-moon around Earth. Image credit: Sunna Withers AICO 2020 1m

This week we follow along with longtime host Julie Tomé as she chats astronomy with guests Bruce Waters and Ryan Marciniak. As past, present, and future candidates for the Allan I Carswell Observatory Astronomer in Residence program they all have thoughts to share about the importance of dark skies, the observing process and of course astronomy in general. To follow along with their blogs, and the...