You can watch the video of this recording (and our live Episode 95 recording on 27th April) at https://www.youtube.com/user/AwesomeAstroPod/videos

(midday PST, 3pm EST, 8pm UK, 9pm Central Europe)

 

This show is a response to the many requests we get to do an episode dedicated to answering listeners’ space & astronomy questions. Producer John thought lockdown would be the perfect time to do it, when we can try and help ease the stress, boredom and isolation.

 

The Guests: We invited some of our friends from the astronomy world to answer your questions too:

• University of Oxford Professor of Astronomy, Creator of the Zooniverse and BBC’s The Sky at Night Presenter, Chris Lintott. We asked him:
• • Are there ways for an amateur astrophotographer to get involved in contributing to actual science? From David Schlaudt
  • Square Kilometre Array or JWST. Which is going to generate the most exciting science? And if each one could answer just 1 question about the Universe, what would you like it to be?  From Mark De Vrij

 

• Director of Public Engagement for Cardiff University’s Gravity Exploration Institute, Dr Chris North. We asked him:
• • Why are astronomers so sure that Oumuamua and Borisov are from outside the Solar System? From Derry North (Chris’ Dad!)
  • Square Kilometre Array or JWST. Which is going to generate the most exciting science? And if each one could answer just 1 question about the Universe, what would you like it to be?  From Mark De Vrij

 

• Senior Astronomer and Institute Fellow at the SETI Institute, Seth Shostak. We asked him:
• • What’s currently big in the world of extraterrestrial hunting?
  • What happens when we discover possibly habitable planets? From @WrathfulTumbles
  • Square Kilometre Array or JWST. Which is going to generate the most exciting science? And if each one could answer just 1 question about the Universe, what would you like it to be?  From Mark De Vri

 

• US Spaceflight researcher and chronicler, Gavin Price. We asked for:
• • An overview of the Apollo 13 mission that was limping back to Earth 50 years ago today
  • The key Apollo 13 decisions and preparations that were underway at this point - a day before splashdown
  • A discussion about, and nod to the BBC World Service podcast 13 Minutes to the Moon. From Peter Ellinger

 Other listener inspired topics discussed by the podcast crew:

• What astronomy equipment do we use?
• Are the current clear skies a product of fewer airplanes and lower pollution?
• What would happen if a small stellar-mass black hole collided with a much more massive star? Could the star ever ‘win’? From Glenn Diekmann in California
• You talk about the ELT in April part 1. But how on God's green Earth do you keep a mirror like that clean? From @SeamasterGMT
• A discussion on the ‘Ashen light of Venus’ inspired by @Blixbuller