Have you ever noticed that significant space and astronomy events seem to happen during holidays? It’s not a coincidence, there’s actually a reason why. Today we’ll talk about some of the key events that happened during holidays.
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Fraser Cain
Universe Today
Dr. Pamela Gay
CosmoQuest
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Ep. 648: Summer Observing
Summer is officially, astronomically here. And for folks in the Northern Hemisphere, that means it’s the perfect time to head outside and see what’s happening in the sky. Today we’ll give you a good list of things to keep an eye out for, with or without a telescope.
Ep. 647: Best Sci-Fi Beach Reading
Summer is here and that means finally tackling your huge list of books piled up on your bedside table and filling up your Kindle. What books do we recommend for some fun reads?
Ep. 646: Long Term Future in Space
We always say that we’re living in golden age of space and astronomy, but it feels like things are just accelerating. What does the long-term future hold for our place in the Universe?
Recent Episodes
Ep. 347: Live from Balticon!
Live from BaltiCon with special guest, author P.G. Holyfield, talking about his projects. <Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript> This episode is sponsored by: Swinburne Astronomy Online, 8th Light Show Notes UPDATE: Due to the...
Ep. 346: Numbered Places: Area 51
Who knows what mysteries lurk at the military's Area 51 complex in Nevada? Conspiracy theorists and UFO chasers think it's a big alien cover-up. But it's probably something more boring, like advanced military aircraft. Let's talk about what we know, and what we think...
Ep. 345: Numbered Places: Launch Complex 39
Almost every historic American launch occurred at one place in Cape Canaveral: Launch Complex 39. Good old LC39 was build for the Apollo spacecraft, and then modified for the Space Shuttle program. And now it's carrying on this tradition for upcoming SpaceX rockets....
Ep. 344: The Rings of Saturn
There's so much we know about Saturn's beautiful rings, and yet, there's so much we don't know. Morgan Rehnberg, a PhD student at the University of Colorado, Boulder and works with the Cassini mission. Morgan joins Fraser to talk about Saturn's amazing rings, and how...
Ep. 343: The Universe is Trying To Kill You
We always say that the Universe is trying to kill you, but we thought we'd really hammer the point home. Dr. Phil Plait from Bad Astronomy joins Fraser Cain for a very special episode of Astronomy Cast. Join us as we hammer out all the ways the Universe wants you...
Ep. 342: Sunsetting Spacecraft
Everything dies, including our technology. But when we've hurtled a few thousands pounds of robotic instrumentation to another planet, it gets a little difficult to shut it down and clean up. What do we do when a mission has reached the end of its useful life?...
Ep. 341: 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Pamela has a day job, remember? As an astronomer? Recently the 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference occurred in the The Woodlands, Texas. Pamela and guest astronomer Sondy Springmann will let us know about the big announcements made at this year's conference....
Ep. 340: Wernher von Braun
When the United States helped defeat Germany at the end of World War II, they acquired the German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun. He had already developed the German V2 rocket program, and went on to design all the major hardware of the US rocket program. This...
Ep. 339: Space Conspiracy Theories
Yes, we actually landed on the Moon. No, aliens didn't crash land at Roswell. What is it about space exploration that leads to so many conspiracy theories? We'll try to get to the bottom of these conspiracy theories, poke holes in their ridiculous ideas and help you...
Ep. 338: Copernicus
It's safe to say that the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus shook up the whole Universe. Well, our understanding of our place in the Universe. It was Copernicus who came up with the heliocentric model, placing the Sun at the center of the Solar System, with the...
Ep. 337: Photometry
There's a lot you can learn by just staring at an object, watching how it changes in brightness. This is the technique of photometry, and it has helped astronomers discover variable stars, extra-solar planets, minor planets, supernovae, and much more. Download the...
Ep. 336: Units of Measure
How heavy is a kilogram, how long is a second? How warm is a degree? We measure our Universe is so many different ways, using different units of measurement. But how do scientists come up with measurement tools which are purely objective? Download the show [MP3] |...
Ep. 335: Photoelectric Effect
Pop quiz. How did Einstein win his Nobel prize? Was it for relativity? Nope, Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for the discovery of the photoelectric effect; how electrons are emitted from atoms when they absorb photons of light. But what is it? Let's find out....
Ep. 334: Chelyabinsk
Around this time last year a space rock crashed into the Earth above Chelyabinsk, Russia. It brightened the skies for hundreds of kilometers, broke windows and injured many people. Let's look back at the event. What happened, and what did we learn? Download the show...
Ep. 333: When Worlds Collide
Just take a look at the surface of the Moon and you can see it experienced a savage beating in the past. Turns out, the whole Solar System is a cosmic shooting gallery, with stuff crashing into other stuff. It sure sounds violent, but then, we wouldn't be here without...
Ep. 332: Stellar Collisions
Out here in the Milky Way’s suburbs, stellar collisions are unheard of. But there are places in the galaxy where stars whiz past each other, and collisions can happen. When stars collide, it’s a catastrophic event, and the stellar wreckage is visible half a galaxy...
Ep. 331: Arthur C. Clarke's Technologies
In our previous episode, we introduced Arthur C. Clarke, the amazing man and science fiction writer. Today we’ll be discussing his legacy and ideas on space exploration. You’ll be amazed to hear how many of the ideas we take for granted were invented or just...
Ep. 330: Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke was one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. He defined the genre, and revolutionized our ideas about what it will take to become a true space faring civilization. In the first of our two part series on Arthur C. Clarke, we examine the...
Ep. 329: Telescope Making, Part 3: Space Telescopes
As we've said before, all telescopes really want to be in space. In part 3 of our series on amateur telescope making, we bring you up to speed on the final frontier: amateurs building space telescopes. The hardware and software is available off the shelf, and launches...
Ep. 328: Telescope Making, Part 2: Serious Gear
Some astronomers are control freaks. It’s not enough to buy a telescope, they want to craft every part of the experience with their own hands. If you’re ready, and willing to get your hands dirty (and covered in glass dust), you can join thousands of amateur telescope...