...where the Universe is our laboratory.
The Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics (WCA) looks to the cosmos to solve the greatest mysteries of the universe. Here, world-class researchers and students come together in an atmosphere of curiosity, creativity and collaboration; exploring our cosmic origin to truly understand the physical processes at work in the Universe. From black holes to cosmology, we aim to understand what lies beyond the Earth. The possibilities for new discovery are limitless.
The Gustav Bakos Observatory houses a twelve-inch telescope, which is located on the roof of the Physics building. The observatory, in operation since 1967, has been used for research on and teaching about visual binary stars.
The X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), and the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), were sucessfully launched onboard the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 47 (H-IIA F47) at 8:42:11 am on September 7, 2023 (Japan Standard Time, JST)/ 7:42:11 pm on September 6, 2023 (EDT) from the Tanegashima Space Center.
Join us to watch the Perseids meteor shower at UWaterloo!
Every August, the Earth's orbit passes through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Fragments of the comet burn up in our atmosphere, leading to the Perseids meteor shower, one of the most prolific shooting star shows of the year.
WCA's Will Percival and Mike Hudson were at the launch of Euclid and sent us images through the evening before and the day of launch.
Ryan Cloutier is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at McMaster University. Ryan completed his PhD at the University of Toronto before taking up a postdoctoral fellowship and a Banting Fellowship at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian.
