Kielder Observatory Podcast

For over 200 years, the Royal Astronomical Society has been encouraging and promoting astronomy, solar system science and other related branches of science.

In this episode Ian Brannan & Dan Pye speak to Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of RAS about how the society has changed over the years, what the future may hold for space exploration, and the role observatories like Kielder play in sharing knowledge of the universe with the public.

We also give you some tips on what to look out for in the night sky over the coming weeks of April 2022, and there's a slightly more difficult challenge from Dan for the seasoned astronomer..! 

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In this month's episode it was over to you, as we hosted a LIVE Ask An Astronomer session with Director of Astronomy Dan Pye.

You can also watch the show back on the Kielder Observatory Facebook page. We cover all manner of topics from Astrophotography to the chances of finding life in other worlds.

We also update you on the latest news from Kielder Observatory, and how you can book a place to come and visit us sometime soon too!

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This month we look at how Kielder Observatory has become the first place in the world to take part in a new project tracking space junk and satellites. There are over half a million objects orbiting our planet, some are working satellites but there are many objects including old satellites, space equipment and rockets just floating in an eternal orbit. 

If those objects were to crash it could start a chain reaction, devastating satellites and in turn causing chaos down here on Earth. NORS based in Durham have developed a tracking system to keep tabs on the space junk above us, and alert owners of working satellites to any potential dangers. To tell us more we speak to Dr Laurence Blacketer from the NORS LOCI project.

We also look at recent events in the night sky and particularly talk about the aurora which has been visible across the north east in January. And we take a look ahead to some of the things to look out for as we head into February 2022.

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Recorded live in front of an online audience on Facebook this month, Director of astronomy Dan Pye, Ellie Macdonald and Adam Shore join Ian Brannan as we explore some of the things to look out for over the final weeks of 2021 in the night sky.

And we are joined by special guest Dr Olivia Jones of the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh, who is an expert on the James Webb Telescope which launches soon (hopefully) and when it does it will bring us a whole new view of the universe. STFC Webb Fellow at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. Previously worked at Jodrall B ank

Plus we took your questions for "Ask An Astronomer", covering everything from meteorites, to comets, to the Milky Way, and even cats..

You can WATCH the episode too if you wish here https://fb.watch/9PaGzMsJQu/

 

 

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This month we meet the new SPIDER Radio Telescope which has become the latest addition to the Kielder Forest landscape. Director of Astronomy Dan Pye give us a tour, and explains some of the things we will now be able to detect in space with it. 

This addition means that even on a cloudy night, visitors will be able to take in some radio observations, and for schools and universities they will have a new resource to help with research into aspects of space.

We also bring you a full round of of the things to watch out for in the night sky over the final part of 2021.

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Hello and Welcome to The official monthly podcast from Kielder Observatory situated in the Northumberland Dark Sky Park in the UK, under some of the darkest skies in Europe.

Our special guest is Dr Natalie Starkey a cosmochemist and author   who joins us to talks about some of the amazing findings from her new book called Fire & Ice, and how Volcanoes could be key to supporting life in other worlds..

It’s a fascinating chat and we’ll learn how not all volcanoes erupt with fire, some with ice. Plus we’ll learn why some of the biggest unsolved mysteries of the solar system are right here on earth.

First though we’ll begin by updating you on the news from right here in the North East, and from Kielder Observatory…

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On September’s Kielder Observatory Podcast Ian Brannan is joined by Director of Astronomy at Kielder Dan Pye, and one of our newest astronomers Finn Burridge. This month we explore how a visit to Kielder Observatory is more than peering into the night sky, it’s a full education on our place in the universe, and we hear from some recent guests about the things they’ve learned which have boggled their mind..! We also look ahead to the major astronomical events taking place through the course of September, as we approach the equinox and our days are filled with more dark than light. And how if you’re very lucky, you could see our Solar System’s furthest planet Neptune. Plus Dan Pye give us his “Pye in the Sky” challenge from the month, can you spot the constellation for September?! All this and much more, listen now and don’t forget to like and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!

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In this episode we talk to the Reverend Professor David Wilkinson, who began his career as an astrophysicist before becoming a Methodist minister and is currently a professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University.

We discuss the connection between science and faith throughout history and bridging the gap between the two (often conflicting) topics.

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Coming up in this months episode we’ll take you to a couple of our recent sessions up at the observatory, but both with very different themes. First was our space kids event which is one of our most popular daily events which take place in the daytime, ending with youngsters building and launching their own rockets! And then it was the turn of another of our most sought after evenings, the Aurora Night, where you can learn about the aurora phenomenon, and discover how to see it for yourself. We’re also talking cosmology in this month’s episode too, with Dr Sam James who is the chair of the NE Branch of the Institute of Physics, finding out why we can still see the remnants of the big bang, and why the universe could be moving!

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Ken MacTaggart has worked on NASA’s Apollo Lunar Surface Journal with editor Dr Eric Jones and colleagues for 20 years, and is co-editor of the Apollo 11 Flight Journal established by W. David Woods.  He has interviewed and written about spaceflight for The Independent, The Herald, The Scotsman, Spaceflight and numerous other magazines and newspaper, plus TV programmes.

Ken is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and works as a technology consultant, advising public agencies on science and space policy.  As well as his interest and deep knowledge of spaceflight, he has published on a range of other historical subjects, so his angle on Apollo is often quite different from the purely technical.

In this episode Ken reveals some of the finer details of that mission to the moon in 1969 which perhaps went unnoticed, but bring a whole new dimension to the incredible story of the moon landings.

 

 

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