Canadian Astronomical Society
Helen Sawyer Hogg Public Lecture
The Helen Sawyer Hogg Prize Lecture was initiated in 1985 by the Canadian Astronomical Society with the participation of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the Planetarium Association of Canada, and the Royal Canadian Institute. It continues as an annual public lecture co-sponsored by Cascatrust and the RASC, given alternately at the annual meetings of both societies, in recognition of the sustained and diverse contributions of Helen Sawyer Hogg to public appreciation of the universe around us. Selection of the Lecturer is made by a committee consisting of the Presidents of CASCA and the RASC, and the chairman of the Local Organizing Committee hosting the meeting (either CASCA or RASC).
2023 Helen Sawyer Hogg Public Lecture
Understanding how galaxies form and evolve within the standard cosmological framework that describes the Universe is among the biggest challenges in astronomy today. The properties of gas-rich, star-forming nearby galaxies are key to this picture, both because they resemble the Milky Way in which we live and because they make up the bulk of the galaxy population in most cosmic environments. This talk will describe the connection between galaxies, dark matter and cosmology, how the atomic gas in galaxies is a powerful cosmological probe, and how a revolution in our view of these objects and many others the night sky is underway with a new generation of radio telescopes. These facilities are paving the way for ground-breaking discoveries with the SKA telescope – an international mega-science project in which Canada will soon be a full member – which will come online towards the end of this decade.