International Astronomy Day

Capping off Astronomy Week, Saturday, October 9 is celebrated as International Astronomy Day. Celebrated twice annually since 1973, this event aims to bring awareness to Astronomy education and to encourage the passions of amateur and professional astronomers and stargazers alike.

Astronomy, the study of the sun, moon, stars, planets, comets, gas, galaxies, dust and other non-Earthly bodies and phenomena, had its origins as far back as ancient Babylon and Greece. During the first one thousand years of the common era, Islamic astronomers improved upon the theories of Greek mathematician Ptolemy to better track the movement of stars and identify constellations. These improvements led to the Golden Age of European Astronomy in the 1500’s and 1600’s, where scientists such as Copernicus (with his theory of heliocentrism) and Galileo (he developed and used telescopes that led to important discoveries) significantly moved the science of astronomy forward.

Astronomers today continue to advance the science with new discoveries. One of the most recent discoveries was that of Comet NEOWISE in March 2020. NEOWISE was discovered by NASA’s NEOWISE mission and provided an exciting light show for skywatchers on Earth during March and April of 2020 as the icy comet lit up the heavens as it made its way back toward the outer solar system. If you missed it, you’ll need to wait a bit for a second chance – astronomers don’t expect NEOWISE to visit us again for another 6,800 years!

In case a cloudy sky or misplaced telescope prevents you from watching the stars tonight, enjoy our slideshow of the beautiful world above us.

Curtains of aurora during an active storm on February 18
The Big Dipper and Arcturus at left over a single tipi at the Two Trees site at Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan
Mars and the Milky Way over the tipis at Two Trees area in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan on August 6, 2018
The galactic centre region of the Milky Way in Sagittarius setting behind Bow Glacier at the end of Bow Lake, in Banff National Park, Alberta
A 160° panorama taken July 5/6 of the summer Milky Way and the array of summer 2018 planets over the prairie pond near home in southern Alberta
An ice crystal halo around the waxing gibbous Moon, March 7, 2017
Mars at left in clouds and the summer Milky Way over Lake Herbert and reflected in the still waters this night This is in Banff National Park
The Northern Lights exhibiting the classic red colour in the upper curtains in addition from the main green lower curtains
A Park interpreter poses for a scene in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan
A flower-filled meadow at the Hay Barn Road at Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta
A selfie of me pointing at Mars at Grasslands National Park, August 6, 2018
The summer Milky Way rising in the late night hours on May 14/15, 2018
The California Nebula in Perseus
Circumpolar star trails over a grand old barn in southern Alberta
The large star-forming region of IC 1396 in Cepheus
A composite of the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse
The well-publicized – if not overly publicized! – supermoon a perigee Full Moon of November 14
Sundogs over the old Churchill Rocket Range
Orion and the winter stars and Milky Way over a mock-up inukshuk figure made of snow blocks
Observers at the 2017 OzSky Star Party in Australia
The northern summer Milky Way through the area of the Summer Triangle
The Pointer Stars Alpha and Beta Centauri
Comet Neowise
NGC 188, an Ancient Star Cluster