If you like learning about astronomy and drinking pints of beer, you can soon do both at the same time! After a three-year, pandemic-driven hiatus, Astronomy on Tap has returned.

Everyone has a story about how COVID-19 closures of March, 2020 affected their day-to-day life. School and office shutdowns may have led to a new work from home setup for you. Maybe you had a concert you were looking forward to that spring, or an exciting trip planned. For fans of astronomy, one of the big disappointments of March, 2020 was the cancellation of Astronomy on Tap — the Dunlap Institute’s most popular event series.

During the pandemic, the outreach team at the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics switched gears, and began to move their events online. “A great advantage of having online events is that they reach a wider audience outside of the Greater Toronto Area,” says Ilana MacDonald, acting outreach coordinator at the Dunlap Institute.

But everyone still missed Astronomy on Tap.

“There really is nothing like chatting about astronomy with members of the public face to face in a chill environment, with a cold beer,” MacDonald says.

And that’s exactly what “Tap” is. Organizers bring in the smartest astronomers at U of T, who also have the most compelling stories about their work. These astronomers present their science to attendees, with fascinating facts about the cosmos that you’ve probably always wondered about — like whether the universe is expanding, or what are black holes, really?

Lit with beautiful colours, standing on one of the most beautiful stages in the city, scientists entertain a laid back, interested crowd by breaking down the mysteries of the universe.