Kingston Frontenac Public Library celebrates World Space Week Oct. 4-10, with astronomer and author Frank Hitchens. The event will focus on explaining the significance of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in the history of astronomy on Oct. 9 in an online event.
The event was initially planned for in-person viewing and live streaming simultaneously on September 25 as a part of KFPL’s Science Literacy Week activities. However, due to a change in programming, the event was rescheduled.
Anne Hall, the Librarian, Programming, and Outreach at KFPL, said that Frank Hitchens kindly offered to reschedule his presentation to October 9, this time as an interactive zoom-only program.
Hitchens is coming to present at KFPL for the fourth time. He will be talking about the Hubble Space Telescope’s launch in 1990 and its significance to astronomy through all the upgrades and modifications it has undergone since then.
“I find the story of the Hubble so impressive, especially since it shows the sheer number of individuals and agencies who’ve come together to ensure international access to such a wide range of scientists, including amateur astronomers,” Anne Hall said.
“It really gives hope for humanity when we can come together to cooperate on such a large scale.”
Back in September 2017 at KFPL, Hitchens spoke about the search for life elsewhere in the universe, and in 2018 he returned to talk about the threat to Earth from asteroid and comet collisions. Then in 2019, he commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. He also described being 12 back in 1969, and watching the moon landing on his uncle’s TV set in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. That was the beginning of his lifelong passion for astronomy.
“It’s a great privilege to share my fascination with the cosmos with others,” said Hitchens.
