The February 21, 2014 meeting of the RASC Mississauga Centre will feature a talk on the search for water in our solar system.

Searching for Water Across the Solar System

Speaker: Dr John Moores, York University

Abstract: In our exploration of the solar system, the most repeated motto might be “Follow the Water." What does this mean in a planetary context and why are we so interested in such a common molecule? This talk will describe where the solar system’s water originated, how it was distributed and what that has meant for the evolution of the planets and of smaller bodies. Particular emphasis will be placed on the changing environment of Mars and how a planet with a warm and wet past became the cold and arid world we know today. The environments of the icy moons of the outer solar system will also be discussed. Here, our search for water is a search for pockets of liquid in a sea of stony ice. It is the observations described by planetary spacecraft that unite these twin quests. However, at the root of it all is a desire to know ourselves and our own world a little bit better. 

Dr. Moores is an Assistant Professor at York University in Toronto, Canada. He is the recipient of three NASA Group Achievement Awards and has published 25 peer-reviewed papers on Planetary Science. It was during John’s undergraduate work in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Toronto that he realized that his true passion lay in exploring other worlds. Following receipt of his B.A.Sc., this brought him to the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, where he earned his PhD working for Peter Smith on planetary atmospheres. During this time, he was a participant on several space missions including the Phoenix Mars Mission and the Huygens mission to Titan. Since graduating, John has held research positions with Environment Canada and the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration at the University of Western Ontario. He is presently a Participating Scientist with the Mars Science Laboratory.

The meeting will be held from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. at The University of Toronto,
Mississauga Campus, in lecture hall SE2082 in the William Davis Building. The meeting is open to the public and is free.   

Enter off of Mississauga Road. Park in lot 4 or the parkade, across from the fitness centre south of the
Davis Building. Enter through the Fitness centre, walk up the stairs until
you reach the main corridor then turn right. (If you need an elevator,
follow the corridor to the right of the stairs, then go up to the main
floor.) Look for the Mississauga Centre sign in front of the lecture room.


Map and directions to UTM 

Post meeting plans: we usually continue the discussion post-meeting at a local bar – please join us!