Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto

06/05/2026

Congratulations to Prof. Roberto Abraham, who has been appointed a University Professor, a designation that represents the university’s highest and most distinguished academic rank!

Three University of Toronto faculty members have been appointed University Professors, a designation that represents the university's highest and most distinguished academic rank.

05/23/2026

Astronomy on Tap is back on Friday, June 19th at The Great Hall Toronto Join us for an evening of intriguing talks, fun games, great prizes, drinks, snacks and conversations with astronomers! Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Hope to see you there!'

More information here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HwqVXsWJK/

05/21/2026

Today the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics turns 18 years old! On May 21, 2008, the Institute was established on the University of Toronto St. George campus, thanks to the endowment received after the sale of the David Dunlap Observatory. We're so proud of all that has been achieved in the last 18 years and are excited to see what comes next!

Learn more about the Dunlap Institute at https://www.dunlap.utoronto.ca/

05/15/2026

Canada is now at the heart of the world’s largest telescope with the ANDES instrument! In a joint application involving universities across the country, $11.3M has been awarded from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to support Canada’s contribution to the ANDES instrument on the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), currently under construction in Chile.

Read more about it here: https://www.dunlap.utoronto.ca/canada-now-at-the-heart-of-the-worlds-largest-telescope-with-the-andes-instrument/

Université de Montréal, University of British Columbia, IREX, Parc national du Mont-Mégantic - ASTROLab

05/07/2026

For this year's Helen Sawyer Hogg public lecture, Conny Aerts will explain how asteroseismologists decode tiny stellar vibrations to peer beyond the visible external layers of stars, allowing them to see the invisible.

Please also join us for "An Invariable Star: The Work & Life of Helen Sawyer Hogg", a public exhibition held immediately before the lecture.

Location: Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles St. W
Exhibition: 6:00-7:00pm
Lecture and Q&A: 7:00-8:30pm

For more information and to register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unravelling-the-symphonies-of-the-stars-with-asteroseismology-tickets-1986924747406

05/06/2026

The Dunlap Institute is part of the LSST Discovery Alliance, which maximizes the scientific and societal impact of Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time! Recently, both Prof. Suresh Sivanandam and Prof. Renée Hlozek visited the Rubin Observatory for a Discovery Alliance Event atop the mountain Cerro Pachón in Chile. They have shared with us some images of this stunning location!

05/04/2026

Check out this month's AstroTours on Thursday, May 7th at 8pm! Graduate student Mark Dodici will be talking about how tidal forces play a role in sculpting our Universe! The lecture will take place in room 102 of the McLennan Physical Labs at 60 St. George street. Then stick around for observatory tours and other activities starting at 9pm!

For more information: https://www.astro.utoronto.ca/astrotours/index.html

04/09/2026

A team of astronomers, lead by U of T astronomer Prof. Adam Hincks, has bolstered the evidence for the existence of one of the most remarkable, yet elusive, phenomena in the universe: pairs of supermassive black holes (SMBH) in orbit around each other in the centres of galaxies.

Read more about the discovery here: https://www.dunlap.utoronto.ca/astronomers-pave-the-way-in-the-search-for-supermassive-black-hole-binaries-in-the-hearts-of-galaxies/

04/08/2026

Two years ago today, a total solar eclipse was visible from South-Western Ontario to the North-Eastern tip of Newfoundland. Canadians in the path of totality got to experience just a few minutes of the moon completely blocking out the light of the sun. Two days ago, the astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft got to experience a similar view during the Artemis II mission, but with nearly 54 minutes of totality, as the crew flew around the moon.

Congratulations to the NASA Artemis crew! The Dunlap Institute wishes you a safe journey home!

1. A total solar eclipse photographed by NASA's Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II mission on April 6, 2026. Credit: NASA
2. A total solar eclipse seen from Chiefswood Park during the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse. Credit: Suresh Sivanandam
3. A total solar eclipse seen from Chiefswood Park during the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse. Credit: Kara Monovich
4. The Artemis II crew sport their eclipse glasses during the solar eclipse experienced on the lunar flyby. Credit: NASA
5. A group of friends wear their eclipse glasses in preparation for the 2024 solar eclipse. Credit: Michael Pereira

03/16/2026

Join us for the March Observation Night as we gather to observe stars, planets, and whatever the sky has in store.
📍 McLennan Physical Laboratories
🗓 March 20 | ⏰ 8–10 PM