Photo Credit: Dan Falk

When it was completed in 1935, it was the second largest astronomical telescope in the world. The 74 inch reflector was used by astronomer Dr. Tom Bolton to confirm the existence of Cygnus X-1 as a Black Hole, a first in astronomy. Dr. Helen Sawyer Hogg contributed to our understanding of the universe by the decades of research at the David Dunlap Observatory’s mighty telescope. The 190 acres of surrounding undeveloped land are home to deer and over dozens of species of birds. It’s an oasis of astronomy and biology surrounded by the suburbs of Toronto.

The University of Toronto intends to sell the DDO and the surrounding wild space and fetch as much as $100 million dollars in the process. Will we see it snapped up by developers keen on turning the land into houses, offices and strip plazas? I hope not. There’s a strong community voice in Richmond Hill, including Mayor Dave Barrow who wants to see the site preserved. Local government along with community groups such as the Richmond Hill Naturalists have mounted a campaign to offer the U of T a serious alternative to the dismantling and destruction of the DDO. We know that this is the right thing to do. The David Dunlap Observatory represents a major piece of the history of astronomy, as well as the history of Canada.

We can do our part to help but we must act quickly. The University of Toronto has placed a deadline of February 15th, 2008 to decide on submissions for the sale of the facility. Let them know that you want the DDO to remain as a testament to the advancement of the science of astronomy, a part of our heritage and that it should be preserved. Take a moment and fill out this online petition.

Thank you and clear skies!

Photo by Dan Falk -author: Universe on a T-shirt: The Quest for the Theory of Everything (thanks Dan!)

I want to thank all the wonderful people from around the world who submitted pictures they took on International Sidewalk Astronomy Night.  AstroShorts is putting them together into a slide show on behalf of the ISAN organizers so everyone can see them.   There are A LOT of pictures so please be patient.  We will have them very soon!   Also, we’ve received a few video entries and I have to say how happy I am to see them.  Please take a moment to visit these entries from Mexico and Australia.   It’s important that we bring astronomy to the public and do so on a regular basis.  Public events like the International Sidewalk Astronomy Night tap into the natural curiosity that people have.  You don’t have to burden people with facts and figures.  Just let them experience it.  Those who dismiss astronomy as a pastime for eggheads are usually the first to be amazed and delighted when they actually see Saturn or Jupiter in a telescope for the first time.  Do you remember your first time?  That’s what need to do more of -give people the chance to experience the cosmos in their own way.  We need to break down the barriers so people can appreciate astronomy and to do this we need to share more often.  This is crucial if we want to attract new people to the hobby and to the science.

Why not upload your own video related to the idea of attracting new people to astronomy?   Our IPOD contest is still on but you need to act soon.  Perhaps you have some ideas for public events and they’ve worked well with your club.  Maybe you have some great video on you last public event or have made an animation that teaches an astronomical concept.  It’s up to you.  It doesn’t have to be a Hollywood production.   Produce it with a web-cam, a handy-cam -whatever!  Don’t be shy.  Contest closes June 23rd.  The winning entry as judged by the AstroShorts community receives an IPOD.

Come on now -be a STAR for the STARS!