A brief trip to the Centre of the Universe

This article was created for Victoria Foundation, and produced independently by Capital Daily. It was approved by Victoria Foundation before it was published.

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As the sun sets at the end of a hot summer’s day in Victoria, dozens of adults and children gather with wonder under the dome of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, everyone’s eyes eagerly searching for constellations among the vast expanse of lights dotting the sky.

You never know what you’ll see when the conditions are clear—planets, clusters of stars, perhaps a vivid closeup of the moon or the traces of galaxies several billion light years away. Though, one thing is certain: the experience is out of this world.

Founded in 1910 by Canadian astronomer John Stanley Plaskett, the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich is home to one of the largest telescopes in Canada, embedded with a 72-inch, 5,000-pound mirror. Upon its completion in 1918, it was the largest in the country.

The Plaskett telescope is covered by a large, white, two-storey cylinder with a domed roof named ‘The Centre of the Universe’. The structure isn’t just a designated national historic site, but a journey into the heart of scientific discovery and cosmic exploration that inspires visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in outer space.

“We can use a big telescope to look at galaxies, and we project the image from the telescope onto a screen,” explained Ben Dorman, chair of the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory Society and an accomplished astronomer himself.

“Believe it or not, a galaxy that's 25 million light-years away we can imagine in about 20 seconds flat,” he said.

The observatory is also home to an exhibit gallery, planetarium and dome that hosts a wide variety of presentations every week. Visitors can sign up to learn from a variety of topics related to astronomy and science, from the wombs of pregnant stars to the first Trojan asteroid mission.

With access to state-of-the-art technology, the Observatory hosts monthly Star Parties that allow visitors to catch stunning views of the night sky as well as the opportunity to ask scientists questions for an engaging learning experience.

“When people come away from demonstrations feeling like they understood something they didn't before, that's what inspires them to come back. That’s what tells me they've had a good experience,” said Dorman.

He said one of the approaches that really connects visitors with the history of astronomy is exploring the ways that Indigenous peoples in Canada used the night sky to track the days of their lives.

“I show them the constellations the way the Inuit saw the sky, the way the Hawaiian people saw the sky. They used the sky not just for navigation, but also to understand how the seasons worked so that they knew when to harvest, so that they knew when spring was coming,” said Dorman.

“They directly used this knowledge of the sky. [Many of us] don’t do that anymore, but it’s absolutely fascinating that people used to do that and this is a message that people really relate to,” he added.

The Observatory is a non-profit organization with an overarching goal to make the historic Plaskett telescope and the Centre of the Universe a site of learning, creativity and community, as well as inspire visitors of all ages to engage in science.

Funded by the Victoria Foundation, they’re aiming to bring the study of science and astronomy to as many children across Vancouver Island as possible through their recent proposal, “Reaching Out from the Centre of the Universe,” bringing elements of the Observatory directly to schools who may not be able to make the trip out due to high costs and curriculum restrictions.

“We're hoping to get more public support to keep that going,” said Dorman, adding that continued public fundraising is key to maintaining the Observatory and all the diverse services it offers.

You can find more information about The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory on their website.