Members of the Earthshine Astronomy and Space Science Organization are gearing up for a major fundraising campaign next week. The goal - to raise enough to purchase a small planetarium and run astronomy and space exploration programs in Mississauga.

The mandate of the Earthshine Astronomy and Space Science Organization (EASSO) is to fund, build and run a new planetarium in Mississauga. It has been nearly 18 years since the closure of the McLaughlin Planetarium in downtown Toronto. There are local planetaria - there is a small planetarium at the Ontario Science Centre and at museums in London and Kitchener-Waterloo. But the GTA lacks a dedicated facility which serves to offer visitors a real opportunity to explore the universe.

Across the country, the planetaria in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton WInnipeg and Montreal have all been upgraded in the last few years. Toronto and its surroundings is the largest metropolitan area in the world to not support a large astronomy facility.

In the short term, we are planning to purchase a smaller portable planetarium. Then after a few years, move up to a bigger facility.

How can you help? Visit our web site and sign up on our Get Involved page.

We invite you to share with us your ideas and thoughts about the possibility of a new facility in our city. We are also looking for volunteers with skills that can help us to reach our goal. Once you sign up, we will send you newsletters detailing our progress with the planetarium project.

Meanwhile Earthshine is planning a lot of astronomy activities in Mississauga in collaboration with its partner the RASC. We hope you can join us.

We will make an announcement next week as the campaign starts.

Thanks!