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Tour UVic’s telescope and chat with astronomers during Greater Victoria’s ‘Star Party’

Virtual event celebrates International Astronomy Day May 15
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Greater Victoria residents can celebrate International Astronomy Day May 15 with a virtual ‘Star Party’ hosted by the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and the Royal Astronomical Society. (Black Press Media file photo)

Greater Victoria space enthusiasts have an opportunity to learn about fossils in our galaxy, tour a telescope and ask questions of astronomers during a virtual event Saturday evening.

The ‘Star Party’, hosted by the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and the Royal Astronomical Society, celebrates International Astronomy Day. The main event of the night is a presentation by University of Victoria physics and astronomy professor Kim Venn called Fossils in Our Galaxy.

Fossils, Venn explains, don’t present themselves the same way in space as they do on earth. Instead of being found in rock, ancient information in space is stored in the stars. They contain a kind a sort of historical record of the chemistry of the universe at the time and place they were born.

READ ALSO: Victoria astronomer helps discover 10 billion-year-old galaxy cluster

Also included in the night will be virtual tours of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and University of Victoria telescope, a live solar viewing, a question and answer period with two astronomers and a planetarium show.

The event runs from 7 to 11 p.m. and can be registered for at centreoftheuniverse.org.

READ ALSO: Victoria man wants your help securing a free ticket to the moon


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