The beauty of the night sky is a wonderful and mysterious place which at times, can be overwhelming to understand. I am an astronomy educator and have presented my 50 minute PowerPoint presentations to numerous schools, Scouts, Guides, campgrounds, Provincial Parks, senior residences as well as a cruise ship. My four presentations are:
Lecture 1 - "Our Cosmic Origin" examines how the Sun, planets as well as life on Earth was forged from the depths of space, long, long ago.
Lecture 2 - "Wanderers Of The Night" a close look at our eight major planets of our solar system and their moons.
Lecture 3 - "Studying The Cosmos" looking back 5,000 years at the birth of astronomy and its progression of time to what we have today.
Lecture 4 - "Living In A Star" how the Sun influences life on Earth along with the benefits and hazards living within its boundaries.
As part of public outreach, I am a media contact with live interviews on CTV and CBC television in Ottawa as well as various radio stations and newspapers across Canada. A full list appears here.
Astronomy sparked my interest at a very early age. For more than 50 years I have been studying and photographing the wonders of the night, following today's new discoveries and sharing with others. I am past president of the Ottawa Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, written more than 200 articles including my monthly column entitled Sky This Month for the national web site of the Society. I am currently writing an astronomy book for beginners.
Should you require further information on cost or to reserve a lecture, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Gary Boyle
The Backyard Astronomer