Two York University graduate students recently made history in the annual Astronomer in Residence program, a partnership between York’s Allan I. Carswell Observatory and Killarney Provincial Park. Sunna Withers, finishing her master’s degree, and Anna Skrinnik, a PhD candidate, completed a combined tenure, marking a first for the initiative.
The Astronomer in Residence program allows qualified astronomers to provide astronomy tours and programming at the certified dark sky preserve located on the Georgian Bay. Now in its third year, the program continues to offer unique opportunities for aspiring astronomers.
“This one-of-a-kind combined tenure allowed our two students to tag-team on events, support each other with telescope operations and provide a wonderful experience for the general public who participated on their tours,” says Elaina Hyde, director of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory.
At Killarney, Withers and Skrinnik independently created observing campaigns, set up telescopes and developed educational materials. This hands-on experience proved invaluable, offering a rare opportunity to work under truly dark skies.
Hyde emphasizes the rarity of such an experience, even for professional astronomers, due to increasing light pollution in urban areas. She notes that viewing objects such as the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way with the naked eye can be truly inspirational.
The students’ York University background prepared them well for this role. Hyde points out that York offers astronomical resources rarely found elsewhere, including the largest telescope on any Canadian campus.
Both Withers and Skrinnik have received extensive training at the observatory, with Skrinnik working on the Quail instrument mounted to the 60-centimetre telescope for her master’s thesis. This experience, combined with York’s weekly public viewing sessions, honed their skills in telescope operation and public outreach.
During their residency, Withers and Skrinnik captured impressive astrophotography, showcasing their work on the observatory’s blog. Their images not only highlight celestial objects but also demonstrate their ability to integrate astronomy with an appreciation for the park’s natural environment. “It was wonderful to spend time under dark skies, to see the Milky Way for the first time and to share this experience with the campers at Killarney park,” Withers says.
The students’ Drop in on the Night Sky program attracted more than 70 park visitors. “Sunna and Anna showed visitors Vega, the Ring Nebula and Saturn through the 16-inch scope," says Kate Ward, senior park naturalist at Ontario Parks. "They did a good job adapting their delivery to different audiences, including lay people, astronomy enthusiasts and children.”
Hyde adds that the experience allowed the students to enhance their public speaking skills and gain valuable experience in setting up astronomical programming independently. “This program development is exactly what they will need to be able to do should they decide to become educators, scientists or even go into the realm of business after graduation,” she says.