Department to field requests regarding particular planets, stars and other astronomical objects
TORONTO, January 30, 2009 -- On Monday, February 2, the York University observatory will go live to the internet, broadcasting campus telescope images of the stars to astronomy lovers around the world.
The university’s Department of Physics and Astronomy will simultaneously host an interactive forum online to answer questions from the public and to field requests that telescopes be moved to view a particular planet or star cluster.
The free online access, coupled with the interactive question and answer format, will be a unique portal for both astronomy buffs and curious observers, said Paul Delaney, a senior lecturer in York’s Faculty of Science & Engineering and the coordinator of the observatory on campus.
“From all-sky camera images of meteors and satellites, to wide-field images of the Orion nebula and the moon, to high-magnification views of planets and colourful images of nebula, the public will have a chance to see a varied amount of astronomical imagery in a short period of time,” Delaney said.
“As the year unfolds, we will look at a variety of objects and be ready to observe targets of special interest.”
Images from the observatory’s 40 cm Schmidt-cassegrain and 60 cm classical cassegrain reflecting telescopes will be augmented by images from a wide-field, short focal length 90mm diameter refractor and an all-sky meteor camera.
The university currently hosts public viewings each Wednesday where people can come to the Keele campus observatory in person to view the night sky.
“This is part of our longstanding dedication to public education and it’s an opportunity to share our love of astronomy with a wider audience,” Delaney said. “Certainly, if we get very specialized questions we can call upon York experts on supernovae, active galaxies, and the like, to provide answers.”
The launch coincides with the International Year of Astronomy, a series of events and activities in 2009 meant to help citizens of the world rediscover their place in the universe. The online observatory is also part of York’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
WHO: York University Department of Physics and Astronomy
WHAT: Online observatory launch
WHERE: http://www.physics.yorku.ca/observatory/
WHEN: Mondays throughout February from 7 to 9 p.m. (spring schedule to be announced).
York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as more than 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 11 faculties and 24 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
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Media contact:
Killeen Kelly, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 2100 x22938 / killeenk@yorku.ca
