Astronomy Cast

AstrnomyCast 216: Archeo-Astronomy, by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay

AstronomyCast 215: Light Echoes, by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay

In episode 198 we explained how space missions are chosen, and introduced the Decadal Survey. Since the time we recorded that episode, the full Decadal Survey for planetary science has been released, explaining the science goals for planetary geologists over the next 10 years. We thought we’d take an episode and give you an overview of all the science coming your way.

AstronomyCast 214: Space Tourism, by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay

When we look around our planet, we see a huge variety in landforms: mountains, valleys, plateaus, and more. Continents rise and fall over the eons, providing geologists with a history of the planet's evolution. The study of these changes is known as geomorphology, and the lessons we learn here on Earth apply to the other objects in the Solar System.

The Earth seems like a safe place, most of the time. But we have evidence of terrible catastrophes in the ancient past. Times when almost all life on Earth was wiped out in a geologic instant. What could have caused so much devastation? And will something like this happen again?

AstronomyCast 213: Supermassive Black Holes

Another mission named after a famous physicist. This time we're looking at the Planck mission, designed to study the Cosmic Microwave Backgorund Radiation over the entire sky. Like the previous WMAP mission, this will help astronomers understand the first moments after the Big Bang.

AstronomyCast 212: GPS Navigation, by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay

It's time for another action-packed double episode, where we meet a man and his mission. This time around its German physicist Max Planck, considered to be the father of quantum theory - he was later granted a Nobel Prize for just that discovery. Let's take a trip back just over 100 years to learn about the man who changed our understanding of the very small.