The Earthshine Astronomy and Space Science Organization

The earthshine astronomy and space science organization (http://earthshineastronomy.ca/) runs science education public outreach programs in the greater western toronto area. Earthshine partners with the mississauga centre of the royal astronomical society of canada (https://mississauga.rasc.ca/) and the riverwood conservancy (https://www.theriverwoodconservancy.org/) to run astronomy and space science programming. Earthshine the rasc and riverwood normally run monthly public star nights on the riverwood grounds between march and november each year. In 2022 monthly programming resumed after programming had been suspended due to the covid pandemic. In 2022-2023 earthshine continued its regular public observing programs at riverwood. Our new telescope and eyepieces were used to supplement the observing evenings. A new telescope case which was purchased last year to protect the telescope when it is transported to outreach events was used. We continue to use camera adapters to make it possible for visitors to take close up pictures of the moon through telescopes on their own cell phones. In 2023-2024 we plan to expand programming within the region of peel. This includes programming at local libraries school presentations to youth groups (cubs scouts girl guides brownies junior naturalists) in addition to the regular riverwood programs. Discussions are underway with the astronomy department at the university of toronto (mississauga) to run evening programming for the students and faculty of the chemistry and physical sciences department. This would include lectures on astronomy and space science topics. There is discussion at the university about building a public observatory and possibly a planetarium. Earthshine members have been participating in these discussions. Earthshine continues to investigate obtaining a portable planetarium to provide new types of programming in the futute. Earthshine continues to promote the idea of a permanent astron