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Speaker Night – Telescope Spaceships: How to travel faster than light
September 26, 2025 @ 20:00 - 22:00
Talk Synopsis
Have you ever wanted to blast off to distant stars, or travel to far away galaxies? The speed of light can be an issue for ambitious spacecrafts, unless, of course, you happen to be a telescope. This talk features tips and tricks for exploring the universe at all levels. Join Dr. Elaina Hyde for a trip through the Allan I Carswell Observatory ‘telescope spaceships’. We will investigate the engine room, bridge, and first contact protocols for astronomical targets visible from York Universities’ own instruments as well as a few recommendations for smaller telescope spacecraft which will be more accessible to beginners. No space-suits required!
Bio: Dr. Elaina Hyde’s research is “in and above the cloud”, combining astrophysics, data science, cloud computing, planetary sciences, optical engineering, telescope operations and telescope observations. Her primary astrophysical research focus is galactic archaeology. She has worked with instrumentation and telescopes around the world, and provides technical leadership for York University’s Allan I. Carswell Astronomical Observatory.
Banner Credit: Background – Dennis Gasparotto; Rocket – Adobe Stock
Venue
- DV2072 William Davis Building UTM
Getting There:
Paid parking in lot 8 is adjacent to the Recreation Athletics and Wellness Centre.
Use the entrance facing Outer Circle road. Walk up the stairs up to the second floor. Continue past Tim Hortons on the second floor and turn right. Follow the hallway to the room 2072 -- look for the RASC banner.
OR
To use the elevators, continue straight on after you enter the building. Take the elevator to the second floor. Turn left out of the elevators and continue down the long hallway to room DW2072 -- look for the RASC banner. If you go by Tim Hortons to the stairs going down, you've gone the wrong way.
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