The Trottier Family Foundation announced on Nov. 21 that they would be making a donation of $16 million to the McGill Space Institute (MSI)—which will now be called the Trottier Space Institute (TSI)—as well as $10 million to L’Université de Montréal. Half of the money donated to McGill will go[Read More…]
Tag: mcgill space institute
Puffy exoplanet challenges traditional notions of planet formation
Since the first exoplanet was discovered in 1992, scientists have identified more than 4,000 of these astronomical bodies. Exoplanets—planets found outside our solar system—have been shown to challenge traditional theories of planet formation, which were based on Earth’s own system. A recent study has revealed that gas giants can form[Read More…]
McGill Space Institute hosts talk on the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory
On Nov. 17, the McGill Space Institute (MSI) hosted a special public lecture titled “Surveying the Universe,” given by Steven Kahn, the director of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and a professor of physics at Stanford University. Khan discussed the goals of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) which is[Read More…]
Exoplanets provide clues to extraterrestrial life and Earth’s history
Earth-like planets beyond this solar system, also known as exoplanets, are a popular target of research in the search for extraterrestrial life forms. However, the evolutionary processes that give rise to life depend heavily on the physical and chemical characteristics of habitable environments. The role of climate in shaping the[Read More…]
Going Supernova: The swan song of a dying star
For centuries, astronomers have studied space phenomena in an attempt to address the fundamental question of our existence and place in the Universe. One astronomical event that is often considered is known as a supernova. It is a powerful stellar explosion that, for a short time, is often brighter than[Read More…]
Unveiling the mystery behind the “Super Blue Blood Moon”
Those who looked up to the sky in the early hours of Jan. 31 were lucky enough to experience a rare trinity of lunar phenomena—the convergence of a “supermoon,” a “blue moon,” and a “blood moon.” The appearance of the ominous sounding “Super Blue Blood Moon” sparked world-wide conversation on[Read More…]
