Perseids Sky-watching Party and Astronomy Lecture

Saturday, August 12, 2023 7:30 pm - 11:00 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

Night sky and telescope on grass.
Explore the night sky with astronomers from the Faculty of Science and Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. The Perseids meteor shower will be at its most spectacular, so let's gather to learn something and then enjoy the view! We will meet first at 7:30pm in the nearby Optometry building for a short lecture by the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics' Dr. Roan Haggar: "Meet the cosmic neighbours: planets, comets, and aliens?"

Meet the cosmic neighbours: planets, comets, and aliens? The Solar System is home to a huge range of celestial objects: eight planets, hundreds of moons, and countless other smaller bodies. As far as we know, life only exists on one of these -- the Earth. But is this really the case? And if so, why? We will talk about what life needs to survive on Earth, whether life could survive anywhere else in our Solar System, and what our chances are of finding it.

This is a family-friendly event, but if your kids will have trouble sitting through a lecture, you're welcome to join us on the Columbia Fields around 8:30pm for the stargazing portion of the evening.

Please note that if the skies are cloudy, the lecture will still take place on August 12th, but we will not gather on the fields for stargazing. Please register so that we can keep you updated: http://UWaterlooPerseids2023.ticketfi.com

Free parking will be provided in Lot X, near the lecture venue, and in the OpenText lot on Frank Tompa Drive, north of Brubacher House. It is an easy walk between both parking lots, the lecture, and the fields. Please do not park in the small gravel lot adjacent to the field, as your car lights interfere with our stargazing.