Terence Dickinson ("The Transit of Venus Panel Discussion", Main Tent, Saturday 2:30 p.m.) is the editor of SkyNews magazine and is Canada's leading author of astronomy books for both adults and children. Notable among his 14 books is NightWatch, one of the best-selling stargazing books in the world. His popular articles on astronomy have appeared in dozens of magazines, from Reader's Digest to Popular Mechanics. He is a weekly columnist for The Toronto Star and a regular commentator for the Canadian Discovery Channel and CBC Radio. Asteroid 5272 Dickinson is named after him. In 1995, he was appointed by the Governor General as a Member of the Order of Canada.

On June 8 Venus passes across the face of the Sun. While the tail-end of this event will be visible from most of Canada, the entire event will be visible from Europe, Africa and Asia, with the Middle East having the best weather prospects. To observe this event many people will travel abroad while others will stay at home. In this panel discussion, moderated by Terence, we will experience this event through the eyes of two intrepid travelers - Doug Cunningham in Egypt, and Dave McCarter in Crete, as well as from the perspective of someone who stayed home.