In December, David Gray will point the telescope at the Elginfield Observatory toward the night sky for the last time. Gray, a professor emeritus in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, is the last researcher to use the telescope, located about half-an-hour north of London, to collect data. The once burgeoning observatory, which became the site of several astronomical discoveries, has since become Gray's private workspace. Read more
The biblical poet who declared "to every thing there is a season" and "a time to every purpose under heaven" didn't have telescopes in mind. But the adage, apparently, applies. It applies to instruments that were high-tech marvels only a few decades ago. It applies even if they've allowed us to peer into the deep recesses of space, expand human understanding and stir our imaginations. And it applies even though they've made a lasting impact on a field of scientific endeavour. The 16-tonne, 1.2-metre Bollens and Chivens reflecting telescope at the University of Western Ontario's Elginfield astronomical observatory is that kind of device. For 41 years, it's amazed astronomers and, aided by an assortment of scientific instruments, collected data for a wide range of research projects. Read more
Have you seen the universe lately? That's the question astronomers from The University of Western Ontario want to know as the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration offer a free open house at its Elginfield Observatory on Saturday, July 24. Read more