TORONTO -- Peeking out from between the trees, a 45-minute drive from downtown Toronto, is the largest telescope in Canada.
The David Dunlap Observatory first opened in 1935 and has been a research centre for the University of Toronto’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics as well as a facility for public education and outreach.
The observatory was instrumental in providing the first direct evidence that Cygnus X-1 was a black hole, among other significant discoveries over the years.
It reopened to the public in 2018 after being closed for 18 months while undergoing a programming review and currently offers programs for families on weekends.
The observatory is named for David Alexander Dunlap, an avid astronomer. His wife donated the property to the University of Toronto after his death in 1924.
The telescope site sits on 40 hectares of land that is protected from development.
