Trottier Observatory celebrates a decade of stargazing and wonder at SFU

The Simon Fraser University (SFU) Trottier Observatory and Science Courtyard is celebrating ten years of space exploration this spring with an all-ages celebration that will see its star shine brighter than ever.

Since opening April 17, 2015, the Trottier Observatory has been the heart of Faculty of Science's public outreach and a fixture of the SFU community.

It has welcomed more than 30,000 visitors through its doors and inspired a generation of stargazers from SFU and beyond.

“As SFU's Burnaby campus grows and evolves, the Trottier Observatory remains an important anchor — an enduring symbol of accessible, inclusive engagement and programming,” says SFU president Joy Johnson.

Through award-winning architecture, landscaping, and accessible design the observatory invites the community to take a closer look at the night sky and consider our place within it.

With help from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Vancouver Chapter (RASC), Starry Nights, the observatory’s free, weekly stargazing event draws crowds of up to 300 people every clear Friday night, making it the largest star party in Canada.

“I think astronomy is the most accessible science,” says professor emeritus and former observatory director Howard Trottier. “People can understand astronomy, they can participate in it, they can even contribute to it.”

To celebrate, the observatory is hosting a slate of public events April 4 and 5.

From humble beginnings

Trottier started Starry Nights in 2007 to engage with students in his astronomy class. Early events were small; Trottier set up his telescope on the lawn and a group of 10 to 20 students would join him to catch a glimpse of the things they were learning about in class.

Soon the events attracted other astronomy enthusiasts and their telescopes, as well as members of the public. To mark the UN International Year of Astronomy in 2009, Trottier worked with chemistry professor Sophie Lavieri to set a lofty goal of inviting 2009 school children to campus to look at the night sky.

“We did it. It was a year of absolute craziness,” he recalls. “It took Starry Nights to a completely different level, and we had a mailing list of hundreds of people.”

Recognizing the growing popularity of astronomy on campus, Trottier and others at Department of Physics and in the local astronomy community began to make plans for a permanent observatory. Trottier contacted his brother, Lorne, who made a generous gift of $2.7 million from the Trottier Family Foundation toward the project.

They had initially planned to build the observatory on a secluded site at the edge of campus but, to everyone’s surprise, they were invited by university administrators to place it right next to the Academic Quadrangle.

“It’s far more visible than it might have been,” says Trottier Observatory director Joanna Woo. “The downside is that we have more lights around this area, but I think that's a small price to pay for inspiring a lot more questions and curiosity. And I think it's made it a lot more accessible for the general public to come to these events.”

Reaching for the stars

When Woo joined SFU as a physics lecturer and director of the observatory in 2019, she knew she wanted to continue the observatory’s strong tradition of public outreach.

“I knew I had big shoes to fill when Howard retired,” she recalls, “but it was really exciting to be able to. I felt like I was given a new Christmas present of an enormous toy to play with.”

Since becoming director, Woo has worked to upgrade equipment and expand the observatory’s educational and research capabilities. Two spectrographs help students and researchers understand what stars and nebulae are made of, and how fast they are travelling. The observatory’s new camera takes faster, higher resolution pictures, while an additional camera allows observatory staff to livestream images on YouTube.

Livestreaming was particularly useful during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the observatory was able to offer Starry Nights online to an international audience. The observatory continues to offer livestreamed events on the last Friday of every month.

Looking ahead, the future looks bright for astronomy at SFU.

Enrollment in astronomy courses has doubled, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada hosts regular events on campus and a new student-run SFU Astronomy Club has formed. A generous endowment from the Trottier Family Foundation has ensured that SFU Science can continue to offer science outreach programs to the public and schools.

“The impact of the observatory on the SFU community has been huge,” Woo adds. “The observatory has generated a lot more interest in science among students, faculty and staff. Even if people aren't going to be majoring in science, they at least have an appreciation for what we do. So we're really excited to invite the public to celebrate with us.”